


A Stolen Conversation

by arisanite



Series: The Conversations [2]
Category: British Actor RPF
Genre: Actor Tom, Angst, Brotp, Denial Queen, Engagement, F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Jealousy, Lost Love, Matchmaking, Role-Playing Game, Romance, Romantic Frustration, Secret-Relationship, Sexual Tension, Shipping, Slow Build, Smut, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-08
Updated: 2014-05-26
Packaged: 2017-12-26 00:15:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 58
Words: 388,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/959300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arisanite/pseuds/arisanite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sequel to “A Blind Conversation”, the story between two old friends torn apart by time, the internet, and circumstances continue. Vega has come far from being the Junior Promotions Officer from Way Magazine, finally being promoted and engaged to be married. But before she can truly be happy, she has to bury the hatchet with her estranged best friend, Tom.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Honest Advice from a Little Lost Star

**Author's Note:**

> I just couldn't leave Tom and Vega to their fate at the end of "A Blind Conversation", that is why here we are. Upon nearing the end of "A Blind Conversation", the plot of this sequel has already been in place. But trust me, the threats issued by the warnings are clear and true. This isn't just the fluffy romantic joy you saw in the previous segment. Get ready for the feels.
> 
> Saying thank you to my forever-present beta - ShotgunInfinity.  
> And to all of you who enjoyed "A Blind Conversation" -- this sequel is for you.
> 
> This has an Asian OFC and is written by an Asian Writer who _lives_ in an Asian country. If you find anything derogatory for you, it may not be derogatory for the writer. _Take heed when commenting!_ :)

_This is just like that one time at San Diego._

_The air feels exhilarating._

 

He walked in with his head up high as the cheers and shrieks of women and men alike greeted him as he reached the podium. Compared to the jammed packed halls of the San Diego Convention center, the wide open spaces of the Olympia Exhibition allowed to him to breathe in the excitement in the air. And since he wasn’t really wearing his famous costume this time, he just loved the feeling of moving freely without the constriction of leather and metal, as he strides gallantly to the stage in that blue suit he was often fond of.

 

The roar of the crowd is intoxicating.

Everyone knows his name.

Everyone knows what he does.

And he knows, no one will really take him for granted.

 

“Tom! Tom!” One of the interviewees in her little business suit tried to catch his attention. Being the polite gentleman he always was, he nodded at Luke to extend the time of the panel so he could answer more questions. He just loved the questions women and girls would usually ask. “Yes darling?” He pointed to her as she stepped up to the mic.

 

“Congratulations on the BAFTA Nomination! We hear you are a best contender for a Golden Globe as well for ‘Close Enough’!” she praised him, causing him to beam brightly. “Sir, what else can you surprise us with? Another Olivier Award for Coriolanus? Or maybe a solo Loki movie?”

 

Tom grinned at her and he just loved the way she tried to hide her shudder. “You’ll never know love,” he answered deviously, causing another uproar in the crowd. “You’ll never know.”

 

“Mustn’t give your secrets, unless you wish to tell me yours,” he said smoothly before winking at her, his laughter being swallowed by the insane noises the fans would make.

 

It was exhausting, that was for sure.

But Tom secretly loves conventions.

 

Not that it was the only place he felt welcome as a secret fanboy, but can you imagine the fangirls? Those women who drool not over his performance as Loki, but as himself? Tickets to his small-scale panel interview are sold out in minutes. He’d get numerous thank yous, passionate declarations of how he saved them, and _confessions_ even.

 

But if there was one thing he loves the most, its signing autographs for his fans. It’s not about the line, it’s not about sitting for hours, but what makes his day is seeing every smile, returning hugs and favors, and shaking every hand that supported him.

 

Of course there are the situations when he has to drop this small fanservice and this makes his day unusually incomplete. There are times when Luke would corral him away even before he could get to the last set, and there are times when he is forced to maneuver out of their way when he’s instructed to, and he _hates_ those times.

 

But when he can spend time giving autographs and talking to each and every person in his “Army”, he would drop his time and do so. He always believed he wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for them, and he personally believes that his work is dedicated to _anyone_ who believed in him.

 

Secretly, Tom loves conventions for one simple fact:

 _Anything can happen_.

 

Take that one sunny day for instance, despite the summer heat and the dry air outside, he found solace in sitting inside that one air-conditioned hall that was reserved for his fansigning. And he looked at the long line of waiting fans, secretly thanking each and every one of them for braving the heatwave on their commute by being here now.

 

He had probably received more than a dozen hugs now, and given double the number of it to grateful and blushing fans, women and men alike. He had held various trinkets in his hands, from the smallest LEGO action figures to these giant canvas-painted replicas of his movie persona as the Norse God of mischief.

 

Luke just stood by his side, his face was a cross between something amused and stoic, but you can see his eyes widen the moment this girl from Ireland brought a Loki bust for him to sign. Tom was profusely impressed and overjoyed at the sight of it, but when he looked at his publicist, Luke was seriously contemplating whether his client’s fame has gotten out of hand. Tom would admit that he was _too nice_ to pose with the one-foot high sculpture and its maker, but what can he do? If you feel gratefulness, you just have to send back the love. Although there were times when he felt a little bit humiliated, but that’s not really a big deal for the price of fame…

 

And then there was a time when he felt his heart skip a beat.

 

He saw her, about five feet tall, wearing thick prescription glasses, a wooly sweater, and long black hair that reached the edge of her shoulder blades. Her skin was light yellow, but with a certain tan, and those big chocolate almond colored eyes were wide-set and filled with admiration when she walked right in front of his table, holding an artwork of King Henry.

 

The scene looked so familiar and he felt himself rising out of his seat the moment she placed her artwork in front of him. And she spoke in this high-toned small voice that he swore he heard before until he recognized those words coming out of those pouty cherry lips --

“I am such a big big fan of Shakespeare, and I loved your performance as Henry V!” she said, her teeth flashing showing a bit of braces. “I am a huge huge huge fan of yours, and I was there when you played Coriolanus! Sir, you are my inspiration!”

 

Tom caught himself gaping, as he closed his mouth and smiled to cover up this expression. For a moment he swore he heard the phrases “ _No sir, I’m not a fan_ ,” and “ _Please sir, just sign this for Lis_ ” as well as “ _I AM NOT PAYING YOU THIRTY QUID TO ADMIT THAT I’M A FAN_ ” come out of the girl’s mouth. It seemed just like yesterday…

 

“What was your name again?” Tom asked, wincing. He hated it when he forgot names. He hated it more if he signed the wrong name, and with the way the girl looked at him and reminded him of someone else-- he might just make that mistake.

 

“Cassie!” she squeaked, her giggles making him feel warm and fluffy inside.

 

“Here you go Cassie,” he said, handing the girl the artwork, only to find a copy underneath it. “Oh, what’s this? You left this –“

 

The girl looked down and blushed. “It’s your own copy, Tom,” she said, tucking a lock back behind her ear, showing that small round face. “I made it just for you.”

 

Tom felt as if his heart swelled up two times bigger. Unable to hide that smile wherein it looks as if he’s about to burst into tears (yet again), he picked up the A1-sized board with the noted artwork of his face three-four years ago with a grateful look on his face. He then places it down and opens his arms, subtly inviting the fan for a hug.

 

“Sir, can I ask for a hug?” Cassie seemed to get what he was implying.

 

“Of course sweetie,” Tom said softly. “I can’t say no to you.”

 

As the people behind her broke into a spectacular _awwww_ , he took the little Asian girl in his arms and gave her a tight squeeze. She was tiny, and God forbid it if he managed to crush her, but it was then when he realized that she was probably wasn’t even eighteen. Silently chastising himself for getting giddy over a minor that reminded him of an old friend he used to be very fond of, he set her down and shook her hand one last time before she left the line.

 

Going through a pair of twins, a hyperactive teenager who wishes to grow up like him, a couple of squealers who just can’t stop hugging him, a handful of sexy babes in costume, and posing once in a while holding Loki and Thor bobbleheads; when Tom was starting to feel the fatigue. _That’s curious_ , he told himself as he was starting to mindlessly scribble messages over various surfaces of items handed to him. _Where is my energy going? Must be the heat or the lack of sleep or –_

 

“Hello sir,” the voice came from a girl who stepped out from the thinning line. “Mind if you sign something for me?”

 

Putting on his best smile as he ran a hand through his three-week beard and his long brown-tinted curly hair, Tom just shrugged and went, “Of course!”

 

He looked at her and was a bit curious about the silence behind the sun hat and the cute floral sundress. He couldn’t gander properly at her face because of the wide-brimmed hat shielding her head. “You see sir –“ she started to speak again.

 

“Please,” Tom said in between _ehehehe_ s. “Just call me Tom.”

 

A small snort came from behind the thick bangs and the sunhat. “ _Well Tom it is then_ ,” a small voice muttered to herself. “Well Tom, this is for my good friend, could you leave her a message?” He looked up at the woman and nodded. “Sure thing, love,” he said cheerfully, his fatigue not really helping – but as long as he kept a smile, he knew he could carry on. “What should I say?”

 

For a moment, he thought he imagined it, but a dreamy passionate voice came from behind the sunglasses and the wide-brimmed hat. “ _All the love and the luck to a great friend who has been lost and found_ ,” she said. “I guess that will do.”

 

“That sounds wonderful,” Tom said nodding thoughtfully as he looked down and started scribbling with the giant sharpie. “Good choice of words.”

 

“Thanks,” said the _hat_ , as Tom has nicknamed the girl in his mind. She started swaying from side to side, a small tiny white leather sling bag conveniently slung on her shoulder. “So _Tom_ ,” she started, sounding as if she was interested in starting a bit of small talk. “How have you been?”

 

He raised his head, some sort of new fire waking him up. Rarely has a fan struck up a casual conversation with him in the line, it’s usually about passions, his films, his projects, how he has changed their lives, accentuated with gasps and squeals. He warmly smiled up at her before returning to writing the girl’s request. “I’m doing fine love,” he said. “Been working very hard lately… Too hard sometimes, but it’s all been good fun.”

 

He heard a small chuckle. “Why won’t you take a vacation then, _sweetie?_ ”

 

The way _sweetie_ had been accentuated kind of made his ears perk up. But nonetheless, it sounded sweet enough that Tom caught himself beaming at the Flaunt Photoshoot printout he was holding. “I think I’ll consider it,” he answered. “To whom do I address it too, love?”

 

The girl grinned and said, “To _Lisbeth_.”

 

Tom suddenly jerked his head up, the way it was said was _too familiar._ “Wow,” he called out all of a sudden. “You know that’s curious, since I do have a friend named Lisbeth myself –“

 

The girl laughed out loud and raised her head. “Well, so do I really,” she said, taking off her sunglasses. “Must be the same girl…”

 

She raised her hat a bit and blinked, showing off those wonderful chin-length curls framing her small yet matured-looking oriental face. She may have gotten a bit of a tan, but the yellow sundress made her glow nonetheless. But as she looked at him, those dark chocolate eyes shone, reminding him of an old fire he tried to kill almost two years ago --

“Jesus Chr –“ Tom had to stop himself from exclaiming things as he rose to his full height, his eyes plastered on the girl he claimed he knew. “I knew it was you –“

 

Vega smiled and laughed. “Hello there, Thain.”


	2. 500 Days and 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vega gives a brief overview of her past year.

Vega was on the convention hall floor chatting with one of her old friends from Way who happened to be part of the organizers of the event, when she suddenly received a text from the last person she expected:

 

_Hi Vega! Just checking if you’re still at the Olympia. This is Luke Windsor by the way._

 

Blinking, a small smug smile forming on the side of her face, she really was reminded of this coincidence several years ago… _Hi there Luke! Yes, I’m still here, but I can’t stay long though. How can I help you?_ She was grinning right at her phone when she answered him, impressed by how the crafty publicist got her number after… years of not really being in contact.

 

She was in the middle of getting her old colleague’s calling cards when her phone buzzed yet again.

 

_Well, Tom was wondering if he could have a word with you. Five minutes by the Studio C exit? – LW_

 

_Well, as long as I’m not bothering him. I’ll be there. – VG_

Giving her old friend Benny a hug before heading towards the said exit, Vega was silently shaking her head to herself, saying how familiar this certain setup seemed to be. When she got to the Studio C exit, she was greeted by a cool breeze, as well as the chattering various stage managers and backstage personnel who was lounging around the open area.

 

Vega looked around and saw a waiter offering some well-dressed people some drinks, wondering whether this is a VIP lounge of some sort. When she saw one of the girls in a blazer holding a wireless microphone, she realized that it was a holding area for various interviewers and media, where the fans and the public wouldn’t be able to interfere with the ongoing private events. She swore she could see Felicia Day being introduced at a safe distance.

 

She took a lemonade from a passing waiter and placed it on the ledge of a railing where she stood, pulling her hat a bit lower to have it stay on her head despite the strong afternoon breeze. She folded her sunglasses and placed it in her small purse, as she looked around choosing to stand due to the small amount of chairs and tables in the area.

 

She was randomly going through some old messages when she heard footsteps from behind her and someone trying to catch their breath.

 

She turned around and grinned. “Shouldn’t you be in there doing an exclusive interview for E! News?”

 

There was an air of anxiety about Tom, despite his graceful gait and the way he towered over the 5-foot-3 girl who only gained a few inches thanks to her heels. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and gingerly ran it around his neck, giving Vega a nervous grin as he leaned on the ledge beside her.

 

“They got to Michael Fassbender first,” Tom said, a bit of disdain in his voice, before switching his expression seeing the pity in Vega’s face. “Ehehehe, it’s no big deal really, Vega.”

 

The girl smiled as she placed her phone on hibernate and looked up at the man who was probably a foot (or more) taller than her.

 

“Has it really been three months?” she asked.

 

He avoided her eyes, but Tom suddenly felt like grinning too. She remembered standing beside the same girl as he shared a moment of tranquility over the famed Le Mertuire bridge in the same city, the first time they actually talked after _almost a year_. There were some issues subtly resolved, and some hopes revived, but if there was one thing Tom couldn’t forget about that moment, is how he finally found the courage to speak to her again _after everything that has happened_.

 

“No Vega,” he whispered, subtly scratching his bearded chin. “The question is _has it really been a year_.”

 

The girl shook her head and laughed, as Tom just watched her as if he were in a daze as she peered up at him through that lovely sunhat. He smiled back, admiring the way she fit in that small dress, wondering when did she suddenly decide to wear such adorable yet mature outfits… But with the flash of the black opal from her ring finger, he was suddenly reminded why.

 

“It really has been quite a while, no,” Vega whispered, taking a sip from her lemonade.

 

Tom shrugged and looked out at the side of the Olympia Exhibition, admiring the scenery. “Since we’re here,” he started, his blue eyes gently flitting over to where she stood. “Won’t you tell me how you have been?”

 

A soft sigh was heard from Vega as she placed the drink down and blinked slowly, before looking up at Tom with those thoughtful auburn-colored eyes.

 

“What have you been up to, Aeo?” he asked gently, trying to avoid her eyes.

 

Vega suddenly realized how much she missed him calling her by her old handle, considering that they did have some sort of falling out for the past year. But the sound of his voice, the way he stood away at a certain distance from her, and those sad blue eyes asking her how she has been… She felt her heart sink a bit, realizing that she somehow lost her best friend for a while

 

Without saying another word, Vega thought about her life after that _thing that happened at Melbourne_ , and she just looked up at Tom and _smiled_.

 

***

 

Truth was, the last year wasn’t as silent as everyone thought it was for Vega.

She never really told anyone about that shared agreement she had with Tom about the Melbourne Airport meeting, in fact she just chose to erase it from her memories as she continued with her little mundane life in Victoria. She even considered giving up her job in Way completely, since she knew that as long as she remained in the press, she will somehow bump into him and all those guilt (and unexpected sadness) wouldn’t be hard to mask from her face all over again.

But with the pay she was getting and the esteem and support from her colleagues and buddies, Vega just couldn’t leave. _Maybe if I stayed in Australia, things will be okay_ , she thought. But that’s what she always thought. _As long as I stay here, I’ll be safe. Safe from karma._

However, karma always had a way of worming itself back in one’s life.

The first event happened barely seven months in after the Eureka Tower incident. A month or so after Halloween, nearing Christmas, Vega was lounging in her flat with her buddies, spending time with Nellie and Mabel before they go out of town to spend the holidays with their respective families. She was supposed to “hold the fort” considering their flat with Kimmie (since Vega was spending Christmas with her family in Melbourne), but during the last minute, Kimmie was supposed to run back to the Pacific Islands where a grand reunion was to be held with her family. You should have seen the scowl on Vega’s face when she realized that she will be stuck all alone in the flat during the holidays. “At least your brother lives a block away,” her flatmates would tell her. Honestly, Vega didn’t want to be alone with the computer during Christmas.

But it was probably a weekend before everyone went running for the airport, and despite the partying and the merrymaking, it was one morning when everyone just wanted to stay indoors.

With the awful summer heat that was staring them in the face, Vega woke up to a hangover that one Saturday after her department’s Christmas festivities, having drank a bottle of Baileys in one go. She groggily walked out of her room with her tousled hair and dark circles under her eyes as she passed by a similarly sleepy-looking Mabel and Kimmie sitting on the couch, watching a morning show on cable.

Going straight to the kitchen, the first thing Vega went for was the apple juice. Not just because apples helped jumpstart people’s morning with its caffeine-like properties, but the acidic sweet-and-sour taste of the produce just manages to bring Vega’s mind back to the land of the living.

She was in the middle of staring sleepily at the half-filled cup of golden liquid, when she was bothered by the incessant laughter echoing from the television and the fact that the volume was turned up, that she had to peek out of the kitchen in an attempt to yell at Mabel to turn it down –

“ _…Well thanks to Zachary Levi, I didn’t have a punched dick._ ”

From sleepy to horrifyingly wide-awake, Vega almost dropped her cup of juice as she slowly did a double-take to look at the person who was being interviewed in the said morning show her buddies were watching.

She felt her insides whirl, the acidic bile forming in her stomach (and the apple juice wasn’t helping at all) when she caught a glimpse of Tom’s face… He was much thinner than she last saw him, but nonetheless he looked fit. The dark curls have grown even further, but they were slowly losing their black colour, starting to show specks of brown, and glimpses of blonde. He wasn’t really clean shaven, but the last Vega heard about him is that his new role doesn’t require a clean shaven look. However, despite how devishly handsome he looked, the sight of him makes her feel sick to her stomach for some goddamn reason.

“ _So you’re collaborating with Joana Hogg once more for her independent film_ ,” said the male twenty-something host.

“ _Yes, it’s a wonderful story about two old friends who try to continue a relationship online_ ,” Tom spoke, recalling the story of the film he currently was working on. “ _The issues and struggles of a long distance relationship as seen between their friends and the people they’re involved with…_ ”

By this time, Vega has returned to the kitchen, contemplating whether she should make breakfast and throw it up eventually because of how awful she felt, or should she just skip breakfast altogether and go back to bed.

 

“ _What can you say about Long Distance Relationships, Tom?_ ” the interviewer asked. “ _Do you believe in it?_ ”

 

Vega was now in the middle of cursing her two roomies in her head, as she wondered why they even bothered to watch this cheap, tasteless, morning show –

 

“ _It’s not that I don’t believe that it will work, but I believe in **love** , Jim,_” Tom said, with a twinkle in his eye. “ _It’s such a wonderful thing, to find love and experience love, no matter where you are or where she may be. Anything is possible, they would usually say… and you will never know true love if you don’t take the jump, take the chance, take the opportunity to go and find it…”_

 

“Wow,” Mabel actually spoke up, making Vega realize that both her roomies were actually glued to this segment.

 

“ _Such inspirational words, Tom,_ ” the host said, as his interviewee just shyly shrugged and looked down, before flashing that boyish grin once more. “ _Would you say that you’re speaking from experience?_ ”

 

Vega suddenly peeked out of the kitchen, a perplexed look on her face as she found herself tuning into the interview, suddenly curious on what Tom had to say for himself. Based on the recording, the theatre-based thespian looked up from staring down at the floor as he licked his lips and just smiled at the interviewer.

 

Mabel and Kimmie suddenly jumped from their seats when the sound of glass crashing down the tiled floor was heard from the kitchen.

 

“My fault!” Vega’s voice echoed from the back room. “Will replace it!”

 

Mabel was wearing a look on her face that was a cross between disbelief and mischief as she put the television on mute, as Kimmie rose from her seat to check up on Vega who was busy cleaning up the broken pieces of her old mug on the floor with the dust pan.

 

“Hey Vega,” Mabel called out. “Isn’t it you had a fling with a British guy early this year?”

 

Unnoticing Kimmie leaning on the doorway, looking at her worriedly, Vega just shot back, “That’s bollocks. What possessed you to think of that?”

 

The girl standing in front of her snorted, causing the smaller girl to look up in surprise. “I don’t know,” Kimmie said, trying hard not to look devious with that sarcastic expression on her face. “Just wondering if he was a famous guy?”

 

Vega gritted her teeth as she stood up and trashed the remains of the old mug given to her by an old ex-boyfriend from university. “Can you guys stop making inferences based on my non-existent London fling –“

 

She heard her roomie’s voice screaming out loud from the living room again. “HEY VEGA,” Mabel exclaimed. “ISN’T IT YOU USED TO HAVE A CRUSH ON THAT TOM HIDDLESTON GUY THREE YEARS AGO –“

 

The voice that escaped her was inhuman as she stomped out of the kitchen and went back in her room, slamming the door closed behind her.

 

Kimmie blinked and looked defeated as she sat back down beside a worried-looking Mabel, looking at Vega’s closed door. “My my,” the latter exclaimed as she finally changed the channel. “What a temper.”

 

 

***

Work for Vega for the past few months wasn’t bearable for her either.

The projects had more exposure, the tasks were more extravagant than before, having to cover bigger events that were Australia-based and so… But it’s the co-workers that drove her insane.

No, they weren’t the gossip-mongering kind, or the types who would talk behind your back and would be hard to work with… But if there was something that drove Vega up the wall with at least three of her teammates after her London stint was that, these three were actually _Hiddlestoners_.

The moment Lyra, Corinne, and Briana started gushing about Adam from “Only Lovers Left Alive”, Vega swore she was probably paying the debt of her afterlife, or doing penance for slaying a king in another lifetime. What was worse, she could actually hear them talking about Tom’s activities – including his reported personal life – while she was only a cubicle away from Lyra (where the two other girls often loitered around).

“Have you heard the news? Tom was spotted with Angelica Cho,” she heard one afternoon.

“Oh, you mean that new Victoria’s Secret girl?”

“I saw her picture,” Briana scoffed. “She’s really pretty.”

“Yeah, prettier than Giselle Tun,” Corinne said thoughtfully. “You know, that other model the paparazzi caught with him one benefit dinner. But I don’t think she’s a good match for Tom.”

“Why would you say that?”

“I like Clarice McMillan better,” Lyra said as-a-matter-of-factly. “She does have a good educational background. Posh enough for Hiddles. Wonder why he broke up with her.”

“Who knows,” she heard Briana’s voice. “His relationships only last two to three months… Remember Florence Geller?”

Reviewing the names in her head, Vega found herself trying not to emit a strangled cry of frustration when she realized that almost all personalities mentioned had three defining characteristics: They were either Asian, petite, or brunette. Or all of the above.

The girl just scoffed silently as she placed her big headphones on, wishing she could drown out the sounds three gossiping girls with the heavenly voice of Florence Welch. But before she could even put “Howl” on play, she saw the brown-headed Lyra peeking over her cubicle, looking at her with those big beady brown eyes.

“Hey Vega!” she greeted casually.

The smaller girl smiled back, despite the fact the hated listening to the girls chatter when they’re around, she’s on good terms with three of them, having worked with Briana and Lyra on several field projects before she went on that London stint. “Is it true that you met Tom Hiddleston personally?” she said with such a big smile on her face.

Vega winced, and wondered why did she even bother going to the Milk Bar during that day she decided to find out who her Lord-of-the-Rings chatmates were.

“Yeah, I have,” the smaller brunette said with a grin, looking down to put a proposal in a nearby folder. “Met him during one fieldwork event… Why do you ask?”

She now can see Corinne and Briana peeking up her high blue cubicles, exchanging giggles as they whispered to each other, seemingly thinking of a shared inquiry. Finally, Lyra summoned the courage to speak.

“Is it true that Tom had an affair with a Way correspondent in London?!”

Vega was wishing that the girls didn’t notice how she suddenly turned pale. It is true that there was an urban legend going on in Way Melbourne… That belief where if you’re a promotional officer sent to cover a project in London, or do training, there is a big possibility that you would end up hooking up with a celebrity during that two-three month affair.

Trainees believed that it started because of Gracie Geffen, that cute little blonde girl who became part of a Way Melbourne expedition in London where she had this fling with Eddie Redmayne over one summer. But the truth was, _Gracie Geffen did not_ exist and the reported fling was believed to have happened during the time Vega was sent to Way London when she eventually met Tom face to face as Thain. As much as she hated to admit it, _she must have been the basis of that urban legend_.

 _No matter how hard Holly tried to shred those pictures; that motherfucking rumour turned into an urban legend_ , Vega thought murderously. _Fuck the paparazzi_.

“I really don’t know,” she said shrugging, adjusting her glasses as she looked at the three clueless girls. “I wasn’t that close to him,” she lied. “Never got the chance to. It probably happened during the next batch of POs after I went back home.”

As a howl of disdain echoed from the three girls, Vega sank herself back into work and some Florence and the Machine as she wondered what on earth possessed her former best friend in London to be randomly dating women one at a time.

 _Who cares_ , Vega thought as she reviewed some articles. _Thain’s love life isn’t really my business anyway. Ever._

 

***

 

 **_@lilyrose:_ ** _@mjade @lis_grey @samathareeks @vegastar Check your emails!_

_@ **mjade:** @lilyrose @mari_mac IS THIS WHAT I THINK IT IS_

**_@lis_grey:_ ** _@mjade @lilyrose IS THIS IT_

 **_@mari_mac:_ ** _@lilyrose @lis_grey @samanthareeks @vegastar @mjade @f_mcallister @twhiddleston *starts humming the Wedding March*_

 **_@samanthareeks:_ ** _@mari_mac KLHASKLHASKGHAKGHAKGHA MARI!!!!!!!!_

 **_@f_mcallister:_ ** _@lilyrose Didn’t invite @twhiddleston and me? How convenient._

 **_@mari_mac:_ ** _@lilyrose @twhiddleston @f_mcallister Come on stop being a drama king Fred! I sent you all invitations! NO FIGHTING ON MY WEDDING DAY._

 

The moment Vega saw the messages, she had the Twitter app minimized, and her Gmail ransacked for that invitation in question. She wasn’t really replying to the tweets or been talking to them as a group (probably asking Lila about cooking tips, chatting with Lis about the new JJ Abrams movie, and the like) for the past few months, and replying to a thread where Tom is involved made Vega feel a little bit uncomfortable. But with the _“big”_ news surrounding Mari, she just knew she couldn’t stay away…

From the kitchen counter, Vega moved to the couch the moment she opened up the scanned version of the letter:

 

_You are cordially invited to the marriage of_

**_Marianne Jessica A. Mackinley_ **

_To_

**_Peter James Powell_ **

_On the **21 st of July**_

_At the **Dartmouth House**_

_37 Charles Street_

_W1J 5ED_

 

 

The girl found herself covering her mouth either in surprise or awe, as she stared at the beautifully lettered, gold-inked, calligraphy-tinted invitation, preserved in a graphic scan on her iPad. She placed the invitation aside and read the attached e-mail to the letter:

_Hello Vega-chan! How have you been?_

_The girls miss you terribly. I would say the same for the boys…_

_However, can you believe it? Pete and I are finally getting married! It took Dad a few more months of convincing, but it turns out that one round of golf made him consider that Pete is his man. I’m getting married in London! The girls are going there on separate trips, and we’d consider it as our Eurotrip for the year, like we do every year._

_We’d really be glad to see you there. I’d love to make you as my bridesmaid if you come, darling. Please let us know if you could make it. It means a lot to us, a lot to me._

_Lots of love,_

**_Mari_ **

 

 

Vega found herself blank-faced and perplexed as she placed the iPad down and stared morosely at the closed television screen. Missing her friends oh so suddenly, Vega was actually considering going to London to see one of her old buddies be married to her boyfriend of four years.

 

 _After all, Way will be sending me to London by March for a new project following a columnist’s resignation_ … she thought, before rubbing the bridge of her nose with her index finger and returning to her Twitter App. She was about to message Mari and Lila about the dates when the girls will be there when she suddenly had to stop herself when she saw another message on the thread –

 

 ** _@twhiddleston:_** _@mari_mac This is such great news Mari, I am so happy for you! Congratulations, darling._

 

Frozen solid, just staring at the reply… Vega saw her finger move away from the compose button. She was actually relieved that she didn’t see him replying to the tweets at all, and she was half-thinking that maybe Tom has abandoned his twitter account completely following the hearsay and talk from his fans that he hasn’t been using social network sites lately. But she realized that despite the publicly-linked appearances and contact, Tom also has a private life, real friends whom he interacts with, and she felt unfortunate to be in that circle.

 

 _Well not really unfortunate_ … Vega thought apologetically. _It’s just that… oh, it’s complicated_.

 

Whenever she sees his face on the tabloids, in the internet articles, or even hear his name mentioned in the office, a pang of guilt flows through Vega’s veins, reminding her of her indecisiveness and that wave of discomfort she felt in front of her wheel months before. But no matter how remorseful Vega was, she couldn’t find the courage to regain contact with Tom, nor to even ask for forgiveness…

 

Now of course, he would be invited to Mari’s wedding too. _But the question is,_ she thought, her mind wandering. _Would he actually come?_

 

Suddenly being taken over by anxious thoughts, Vega was suddenly tempted to never reply, to never answer Mari’s letter or invitation, to maybe cut ties with them, to maybe – She had to lightly slap the side of her face just to snap herself out of those thoughts. _How rude, Vega_ , she told herself as she randomly scrolled down the Twitter app, looking at replies but not really reading, letting her thoughts sink in. _Cancelling everything just because of the possibility of Tom being around? Is he really that offensive? Is his mere presence so much of a hassle that you can’t even be around him? You’re making him sound like an ex when he isn’t even one…_

 

Fingers twitching, Vega found herself unconsciously biting her fingernails as she watched a short-lived playful banter between Lis, Fred, and Tom on Twitter. _Maybe I could ask someone, anyone…_ Vega thought. But, of course the fact of her speaking up after a whole total of nine months in silence would probably instigate another fracas…

 

_Maybe I can wait for someone to ask him…_

 

She was already rubbing her hands together to calm herself down, when out of nowhere, Nellie plopped down on the couch beside her, completely startling her. Almost throwing the iPad up in the air, she moved like an automaton as she put the device on hibernate, slipped it to her side as she scrunched up her face with her hand and glared at her roomie.

 

“What?!” Nellie exclaimed in her strong Australian accent as she grabbed the remote, turned on their television and start surfing through the cable channels.

 

“You just startled me, that’s all,” Vega scowled as she stretched on the couch, happy that somewhat, Nellie got the uncomfortable thoughts out of her mind. The girl scoffed at her as she surfed through the channels, laughing as she said “Relax Vega, come on. You’ve been tense for days.”

  
Vega grunted back. If her sarcasm was getting sharper, she has Nellie to thank for it. “Well, you can blame the stupid Project Manager for the stress he’s putting on me…”

 

“I told you!” Nellie said, swatting Vega on the shoulder before pretending to massage it. “ _Relax_.” She stopped on one channel and shrugged. “Watch a movie.”

 

“I’m not in the mood to wa – What is that.”

 

Never had her voice switched to something monotonous when Vega looked at the screen and saw this 50’s setting movie where a boy and a girl sitting in front of each other started eating each other’s faces… Not to consider that the boy with the short black clipped hair looked so familiar as he ate Rachel Weiss’s face…

“Well what do you know,” Nellie said as she crossed her arms, sucking in her breath as she tried not to laugh. “This movie looks familiar.”

 

Vega couldn’t put her jaw back into place as she averted her eyes from that infamous “stark naked” intimate scene between Freddie Page and Hester Collyer in “The Deep Blue Sea” playing on their widescreen television. She glared at Nellie and hopelessly tried to snatch the remote out of her hands.

 

“Hey! Isn’t that Tom Hiddleston –“ said Kimmie who stepped out of the kitchen. “OH MY GOD HE IS HOT!”

 

Vega could say that she lost the game as she pulled out a cushion from beneath her and attempted to smother her face with it as she sank down on the couch.

 

 

 

***

 

 

“Basically, I had my head buried in projects this year – as I told you,” Vega found herself saying as-a-matter-of-factly. She looked up at Tom who seemed to have quite an effort trying to stand still just listening to her talk about what she has been up to for the past year and a half. “And more Doctor Who,” Vega said nodding as she held her sunglasses behind her, rocking on her tiptoes. “You’re pretty much aware of that.”

 

Tom smiled, chuckling a bit as he shifted his weight to another leg, reminding himself not to look that long into those spirited brown eyes, in case he goes through a panic attack and have all those fluffy feels again. _Remember Tom_ , he kept on telling himself the moment he realized she’s in London – even more when he was in the dressing room before he had Luke contact her. _She left you at the airport. She has no intention to even fall for you. She’s even getting married soon…_

 

Awkwardly shrugging, he put on a small devious smile and said, “And the story behind the fiancé –“

 

Vega made a face as she rolled her eyes. “Oh you cheeky,” she said, giving Tom that silly look that used to make his heart leap. Or maybe he pretended that it didn’t. “Must you ask about it right now?”

 

He shrugged and grinned at her. “You left it out,” he exclaimed.

 

The girl pursed her lips and crossed her arms, nibbling on the end of her sunglass. “Come on,” she teased. “I’ll save that story for when the girls are around.”

 

Tom made that movement with his jaw that indicated his frustration as those blue eyes shot back to the girl whom he considered his best buddy and said, “Won’t you save it for your best friend?”

 

Vega looked at him and sighed, bringing her hands down, taking a mental note of how Tom knows her weak spots when it comes to conversations like these. She was half-terrified that she would have to face him again, but she knew she just had to, especially when the Project Manager whom she’s doing this Convention Cover on pointed out through the programme he handed her that big names were going to be there… The moment she saw Tom’s name, she knew she had to go and say hello. However, she found herself half-relieved to see him slowly warming up to her again, and sporting a much better tone compared to how he spoke back at the Le Mertuire.

 

She smiled and looked away, before she started to speak. “He was an old friend,” she said as if she was pulling it out of a treasured memory. “He _is_ one of my dear old friends. We’ve been dating for nine months then…”

Tom tried so hard not to frown, but he just found his heart going out to her with how she told the story. _Maybe she’s really in love_ , he told himself, a bit of bitterness forming inside his stomach, as he tried to will it away.

“He was wearing a velvet suit,” she recalled, looking up at him for a bit. “We were having a dinner with the company and he…” Vega covered her mouth and giggled.

At this point, Tom smiled, but he really wished he didn’t push for her to tell him that story. _You and your big mouth, Tom_ , he silently chastised himself as he placed a hand on the ledge, trying to balance himself in case his knees gave way from all the anxiety and the frustration. _It’s your own doing you know. Suffer._

She smiled up at him and looked down, like a shy girl confessing her deepest secrets. _Like she hasn’t_ , he told himself sadly, smiling to urge her to go on. But deep inside, he wished she didn’t. “You know the works,” Vega said shyly as she tucked back a lock of hair behind her ear, showing those pretty pearl earrings.

“Well yes,” Tom said, blinking a bit, running a thumb along his lips. “Your fiancé must be very romantic. Yes – of course. That was very romantic.”

The girl gaily straightened up, swaying a bit. “Glad that you think it so,” her voice said in such a sweet tone. “Glad to know my far-off brother approves.”

Tom then has snatched a whiskey from a passing waiter, wondering why he’s taking alcohol this early. “Tut tut,” he sounded off. “It’s too early for my approval. I’ve got to meet my then-called brother-in-law first, missy.”

For some reason the way she giggled made it sick to his stomach. Despite the fact that it sounded like bells ringing nonetheless…

Wiping a bit of the drink with the back of his hand as he held the glass on the level of his chest, Tom let out a gust of breath and gingerly grinned at his companion. “It sounds like you did have a good year, Vega,” he said, painstakingly smiling despite the way his insides rolled with aggravation.

The girl nodded, letting those adorable bangs bounce. “Yes, I did have a good year.”


	3. One and a Half Year Without Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom, on the other hand, tells Vega of what happened during his past year. (Warning. Smut right ahead!)

“Well,” Vega shrugged, leaning on the ledge this time, completely ignoring the fact that Charlie Hunnam and Lily Collins were being interviewed nearby. “I’m not the one with the Oscar Nomination and the Golden Globes,” she said proudly, causing Tom to almost choke on his drink.

 

“What’s up with you?” she said with a big smile, making Tom wonder if the girl even expressed remorse over the fact that she stood someone up at an Airport Down Under.

 

Taking a swig of the drink, he wrinkled his nose and looked at the girl with those blue eyes that seemingly lost their shine. “’What’s up’ seems to be an understatement for me, Aeo,” he said as he used the same name-calling technique she would use on him when she wants to put him at a distance.

 

“So,” the girl he initially thought he would nickname as _the hat_ in memory replied. “Are you saying you’ve had quite a troublesome year then?”

 

He gazed at her with those blue eyes suddenly getting cloudy, as he dropped his gaze to her hands, watching the way she twiddled with her fingers… and her _ring_.

 

“Probably,” Tom said, suddenly somewhat changing his mind.

 

 

***

 

 

“ _Oh_ ,” he groaned through gritted teeth. “ _Yes darling, just like that_.”

 

She had oh such long legs, _a Daddy Long Legs baby_ , as he and Fred would usually classify some of the girls who grin at them when they frequented the night bars. _Oh but it’s not just her legs_ , he said to himself as he licked his lips, running the tips of his nails over her bent thighs as her long black hair was sprawled all over his exposed abs, peeking out of his plaid shirt… as she repeatedly took his shaft into her oh so talented mouth over and over again.

 

He propped himself up the red couch of her hotel room, listening to the soft clinks of her hoop earrings as she dragged that long pink tongue from the tip of his cock and down to the base of it, slowly gliding it towards his sacs as she took one in her mouth, making him emit a curse that echoed throughout the room.

 

“Oh you’ve got such a talented tongue, Giselle,” Tom gasped as he found his back falling on the pillows, as he lifted his hips and pushed himself closer to her hot mouth. “ _Don’t stop_.”

 

She met him at the Benefit Dinner for UNICEF six months ago, where they hit it off with the fact that she was an English Major who loved Shakespeare even before she started modeling. But there was something in the way she walked and how those chocolate eyes twinkled when she smiled, but Tom was sure that one of the things he couldn’t get enough of was the smell on her olive-colored skin whenever she pressed herself on him without her clothes on…

 

Tom was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when she emitted a low groan around his shaft, causing his precum to pool at the base of her throat. She suddenly hollowed her cheeks and sucked her way up as she released him with a pop, looking at him with eyes full of desire hidden beneath a set of cute little bangs –

 

That’s when he found himself frowning a bit. He suddenly remembered how Giselle Tun was so proud of her half-Malaysian heritage and her caramel-colored skin that made the British Boys consider her as the “hottest exotic fuck” around town. But of course, there was something more to that gorgeous body, her taller-than-average height, and that talented tongue that can recite five to six different languages… For a moment, something in her changed as she looked up at Tom, on all fours, her lips wet with his juices…

 

He brushed her bangs away, before snaking his hand around her head in an attempt to have her swallow his cock again. “Don’t like my bangs?” Giselle joked, before taking him whole, causing Tom to open his mouth and create a perfect “O” with those perfect lips…

 

He fell back in a heap, as he found himself tangling his fingers in her long black locks, those eyes watching him oh so carefully as her lips are still wrapped around his cock… Twitching his jaw to the side, that signature expression he makes when frustrated, he tried not to express the discomfort of seemingly seeing someone else wearing those pretty bangs…

 

“Oh baby,” he whispered, voice deep with lust. “It’s what I like about you…” Without another word, she smiled around his shaft before he found the fire pooling from his belly, causing him to grab her tresses and have her continue milking him dry for what he’s worth.

 

A few minutes later, he’s half-screaming her name in the supposedly sound-proof room (unless the neighbors don’t mind) and he has been thrusting his hips repeatedly in her face, causing her to groan and hum every time he did so. Pupils dilated enough to almost drown out the blues with blacks, Tom suddenly felt something vibrate beside him as he looked at his cellphone with hooded eyes as he released a hand from Giselle’s hair to try and assess what his phone has been yammering about.

 

With trembling hands he dragged it close to him, trying to concentrate on not blowing his load on the pretty girl’s face as she continued to work him; tongue, lips, mouth and all on his throbbing cock… as he opened the message in an attempt to get rid of it.

 

_Thomas. Can you stop lollying about and you promised me a lunch meeting? Unless… - FMc_

He knew he was close and he’s not denying it. Throwing the phone aside, he found himself grunting so hard as Giselle hollowed her cheeks and sucked him more than what he thought he was expecting.

“Damn Freddie!” he exclaimed through gritted teeth as he yanked the girl’s face from between his thighs.

Looking at him with much shock as she fell back seated on the flat wooden table in front of them, Giselle could only gasp. No one could appraise the lust in Tom’s eyes as he stood from the couch and pinned the girl who was pleasing him, down on the surface of the coffee table as he lowered himself over her, willing to return the favor.

 

 

***

 

“Seriously,” Fred said as he played his fingers over the base of his drink, watching Tom saunter sulkily into the café, seemingly glaring at him. “How many booty calls of yours will I be interrupting till I actually get through you, man?”

“Shut up, Freddie,” Tom almost spat back as he approached his friend, who couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

Initially annoyed with each other, both boys broke into big wide grins as Tom moved closer and tapped his old roomie on the back before taking his seat across him. Fred stretched up from his slouched posture on the couch and checked his phone as his friend peered through the menu lying on their table.

Reading from his texts, Fred frowned and exclaimed, “Giselle Tun? Really now, Thomas? You’re into Asian models now?”

A finger up in the air to call a waiter, Tom spoke without looking at him. “Not now Fred, don’t look at me like that,” he said flatly and monotonously as he ordered a platter for lunch. He sighed and shot him that cheesy grin, “I can’t help it if she’s got those sexy chocolate eyes –“

Fred found himself palming his face after hearing Tom’s reply.

“—and that wonderful smile, and that long black hair, and the way she darts her tongue in the middle of her teeth,” Tom sighed. Fred was just silently shaking his head by his side as he raised his glass to have a little bit more of that 1920 wine.

“So,” asked Fred. “Will you be seeing her again?”

His friend suddenly stopped raving in the most polite manner possible as he suddenly bit his lip and looked down, as he ran a hand around his neck… something he does when he’s rather anxious. Tom looked up, blue eyes a bit cloudy as he shot his good old friend a smile and said, “Maybe for one last time...”

Fred let out a sarcastic laugh, causing Tom to purse his lips and glare at his friend.

“One last time?” he tried so hard not to spit out the contents of his drink. “Thomas, this is probably the nth girl you’ve dated and possibly fucked ever since you returned from Melbourne. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, and I really don’t want to meddle in your affairs… but you’re going down the old dark path where we both came from before you saw _her_ again.”

“Speak for yourself,” Tom shot back, giving him a sarcastic smile. “You haven’t left that path since we left University…”

Fred chuckled, unable to deny it. “Seriously Tom,” he tried to reason with him. “Giselle is already quite a catch. So is Annie, Mary, Elena… Do you need me to go on?”

Tom found himself scratching the back of his head hopelessly. “I know,” he whispered as he smiled at the waiter who delivered him his drink, thanking him politely as he could. “Giselle is perfect, well-mannered, sweet, and humorous. Not to mention talented with that tongue and fingers…” He shook his head, trying to snap out of it. “But whenever I look into her eyes, I see something else…”

He sighed. “She reminds me too much of _her_.”

Fred rolled his eyes. “Seriously, Tom?” he said exasperatedly. “Are we still talking about that elf shrimp who left you for naught? Our little elf shrimp from Melbourne?”

Tom grunted silently as he drank from his glass, trying to forget how that little shrimp Fred was describing looked like. How she looked with those clipped bangs, that innocent school-girl smile, and the way she called him “Thain”… Tom found himself gulping acid the moment he snapped out of it.

“You my friend,” Fred sighed. “Are hopeless.”

 

***

 

 **To:** [ **twhiddleston@msn.com** ](mailto:twhiddleston@msn.com)

**From:** [ **fmcallister9311980@gmail.com** ](mailto:fmcallister9311980@gmail.com)

_Got these from Max._

_You should see these, mate._

_Don’t kill me._

**Attachments:** halloween1.jpg, halloween2.jpg, halloween3.jpg

 

For a moment, Tom had to dodge the brush that was being bopped on his nose to get a better look at his phone. As the fashion assistant moved to straighten his collar, he felt himself gulping as he opened the attachments in his mail app, feeling something ominous looming over him as he read Fred’s typed words that said, “ _Don’t kill me._ ”

He probably hasn’t seen Fred for days after that little frolicking he did with Giselle, but hearing that he got the mail from Max just made him feel queasier than usual. Now Max… he did tease her a lot in the old mail threads and every once in a while over Twitter, but talking to her is like _hitting close to home_. Everyone knew that Max and Vega send insults to each other via email for the past ten years, and lately, over twitter. They may be rash towards each other, but they are much attached to one another, just like how sisters are. But every single time Max asks a question, every single tweet where Max mentions _@vegastar_ , and everytime she talks about that _girl_ … Even if he’s leagues away, in his “posh Hollywood life”, “classy theatre gigs”, and “rubbing elbows with such high-profile directors”, someone just like Tom Hiddleston still shrinks in the sidelines whenever he is reminded about an old friend whom he wanted to be more than that. And this was one of those times.

But the more Tom felt uncomfortable, the more he wanted to stay away, the more he told himself to ignore Max’s tweets or Fred’s emails… _the more he got curious_.

Composing himself in a flash as he sat in the interviewee’s chair, nodding gaily to the assistants who moved about around him as they briefed him about the upcoming quick interview, he waited until they all got out of the room before he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and decided to take a looksie about what Fred has been yammering about through email.

The moment he saw it, he felt time freeze.

He hasn’t seen her face in months. He felt his heart skip a beat seeing how those newly clipped bangs framed her face, the fact that she was wearing a bit of lipgloss as she took the selfie… with a little boy who was dressed as that Norse God of Mischief he was well known for.

Tom felt time stop. _Could it be that this is her child –_ He looked at the boy who was smaller than her, grinning brightly beside the woman who caused him so much anxiety, sending him trying to persuade an airline to delay a flight just so he could tell himself that she was still coming… _No, it can’t be_. He assured himself as he looked at the second picture that included some captions from Facebook, realizing that Max must have knicked it off Vega’s account with screenshots.

 _My my! Is that Seth?!_ A certain Mindy Abalos said, with her comment saved along with the picture of Vega and the kid holding a different pose with their basket of candies. _Your nephew is getting bigger, Star!_

Tom felt himself close his eyes, somewhat relieved... after believing for a delusional moment that Vega hid a little secret from him, like an offspring or something. _Surely, she would have told me…_ Tom felt himself speak in his mind as he shook his head. _But this must be that precious nephew she keeps on talking about. Isn’t it adorable_ , he thought as he didn’t notice himself smiling, secretly admiring the girl through his phone. _He looks a little bit just like his aunt._

_Is he supposed to be Loki, Vega?_

_Influencing the kid with your fandoms at a very young age? Shame on you Vega! I don’t blame you really, Loki is such a cutie!_

If anyone actually noticed Tom in his seat, they would have probably noted how flushed he seemed to be as he smiled down at his iPhone, laughing silently to himself. Luckily, no one was around to wonder why he was acting like a schoolboy at that moment.

_Did you make the headgear, Vega? That’s impressive!_

For a moment, Tom’s smile melted away, as he felt his heart sink. As much as he wished to forget her, he couldn’t deny how much he missed her. It hurts to just to watch her from afar, or to even pretend that he doesn’t pay attention. But seeing how the girl somewhat admired his work and still passed the influence on to another generation…

 _Well yeah, I did make the headgear…_ Tom blinked at the following reply from the girl in question, that Max has literally included in the photoset just so her friends could see it. _My brother did most of the paper mache and wiring though. Glad to see my little Loki-Seth is happy. <3_

He suddenly found himself parting his lips as he looked at the third picture, where the little Loki-dressed baby was kissing his Auntie on the cheek, while the girl had one eye closed, making it seem as if she was winking. By this time, Tom was pretty sure that his cheeks were heating up, that he had to close the image viewer to run the back of his hand across the two sides of his face, pinching his nose as he finished.

“Mr. Hiddleston?” a small mousy-looking brunette boy with a bowtie and freckles approached him to shake his hand. “I’m Clay Walden, I’m from Empire Magazine.”

Sniffing slightly as he pulled on the lapels of his suit and smiled, he said, “Ah yes, you’re the first right? Would you like a cookie?” He said nonchalantly as he pulled one from his little stockpile just beside his chair.

The boy shyly waved his hand and said, “Thank you sir, I am a bit full.”

“Suit yourself,” Tom teased as he took a bite. “Just don’t be shy to come ‘round and take some after interviewing the other cast members, alright?”

The boy laughed and said, “That’s grateful of you Mr. Hiddleston.”

Pocketing his phone and taking a mental note to save the pictures Fred sent him no matter how much it made him melancholy for some obvious reason, he smiled at his young interviewer as he practiced that same old habit he does of offering his interviewers a snack and being equally extra nice to them. _Who knows who else they may be connected to_ , Tom thought hopefully as he brushed the crumbs off his hands over a handkerchief.

“Shall we start?”

 

***

 

Tom was wincing when he walked into the café. It was probably the nth time he was running late for one of Fred’s set buddy lunches, and this time he was sure that it was all work and there’s no kinky stuff involved. But seeing the knowing look and smug grin on his buddy of twelve years’ face is enough to trigger his conscience… And trust me, if Tom seemed like a goody-two-shoes in real life, you should meet his conscience. He could admit that his conscience can even scold him in Shakespeare if he’s too drunk.

“I’d apologize for being so late –“ he started, until he was greeted with two extra smiles at their designated table, causing Tom to suddenly go, “Oh.”

Before he can even say a word, he was suddenly engulfed in a hug (that he gratefully returned) thanks to a redhead with freckles whose gait was almost as high as his chin, and the brunette she was with that had long curly hair.

“Mari?! Lila?!” Tom exclaimed, loosening his tie a bit, trying to hide his excitement. “What a surprise!”

As Lila shyly sat beside Fred, it was the bracelet-adorned Mari who adoringly brushed Tom’s shoulders as he sat down, admiring their actor friend with a huge smile on his face as the two girls exchanged grins. “You look fine… Very fine, Thain,” Mari said with much admiration as the other girl took a sip of her tea. “We’re glad to see you.”

He couldn’t admit that he blushed, but the very graceful brunette with her tall gait, slender body, and fine taste of clothes was considered the “prettiest” in their group. It’s been discussed between Tom and Fred that Mari is quite the catch, with the way she talked and laughed… and Lila comes quite a close second with her hair colored like fire and a spunk that is hard to fan down. But both men somewhat have their own preferences, and despite being single and rocking it… Tom looked down at the ring that was adorning Mari’s finger, and he realized that the two didn’t just stop by for no reason…

“I know you’re surprised that we’re here –“

“But you’ve got to hold the presses –“ Lila butted in excitedly.

“Boys,” Mari exclaimed as she shushed Mari. “I’m getting married.”

Both men were suddenly up on their feet, making sounds that were a cross of cheering and howling. Tom quickly moved to hug Mari, as Fred kissed both of her cheeks, holding her face saying, “I’m so happy for our little sister! Once upon a time you were just whining about your prom date – now you’re getting married!”

Mari blushed. “That’s not all!” she exclaimed. “I may move with Pete to Hampshire, where his family grew up.” She played with her hair a bit as she made this dreamy sigh most bride-to-be’s make, as Lila and the two men smiled back at her giddiness. “Which means I am just close enough to visit you boys when I can!”

“Let me get this straight –“ Tom said in between laughs. “Are you telling me, that you and Pete are getting married here in London?”

Mari claps her hands and grins brightly. “Yes!”

“And we’re inviting all the girls!” Lila said in a high pitched tone.

Still smiling, Fred slowly jerked his head in Tom’s direction. The other guy was still holding his grin as the entire situation suddenly sank in… “Everyone?” he couldn’t stop himself from chuckling nervously, unable to hide the anxiety at all. “That would be such a pleasant surprise, Mari…”

Fred slightly nudged Lila, who just nervously shrugged before exchanging looks with Mari. The bride-to-be bit her red lips and turned to Tom, who was now pale white, having realized that maybe the two girls already knew about his little “plight” in Melbourne thanks to his oh-so-devoted best buddy…

“We’d be releasing a formal invitation in a few days,” Mari exclaimed, placing her hands on the table. “Lila and I just went ahead for the reservations and preparations, but I’m 90% sure that Lis and Samantha could come. They’re already booked, to be honest. And Max is actually arriving two days from now. Of course, we’d be so honored if you and Frederick could be there.”

“Of course, we’ll be there…” Fred answered quickly, subtly winking at Tom. “Right, Thomas?”

He looked up from the table and saw Mari smiling up at him, as well as Lila beside him. He knew he couldn’t say no. How can he even say no? These girls are two of his dearest friends and he even met Pete a year ago during that fateful day when he first caught a glimpse of the “little girls” he played with online after ten years. And Mari has always been sweet and considerate just as Lila has been friendly and accommodating, there was no reason to say no. And to be invited to a milestone in her life where she gets to be united with the man of her dreams? How can he say no?

_Even if she gets to be there…_

The last contact or news Tom even had of _that_ girl were the pictures Fred cleverly sent him through his phone. He had no updates whatsoever about Vega except for her occasional location tweets while she’s on fieldwork in Melbourne. Not that he read every single one of them, not that he actually still followed her… But what are the chances that this busy, detached, distant, estranged girl who currently made him so anxious would even be present during Lila’s big day?

“Please Tom?” Mari pleaded, reaching out and taking his hands, clasping it in hers. “Everyone will be there… We even invited Vega –“

That’s when Fred sharply turned to Lila and the girl unconsciously nudged Mari under the table. As the girls were in the middle of making small gestures and hidden messages swapped through their expressions, Tom found himself ignoring them as he looked down at the wooden table, seemingly deep in thought. Fred on the other hand, found himself covering his face, aware of the rabbit hole they just fell into.

“I...” Mari started, causing Tom to look up at her. “We don’t know what happened… But we do notice the distance between you and Aeo, Thain. It’s so evident over Twitter… Of course we’d notice...”

Tom pursed his lips and twiddled with his fingers underneath the table, before scrunching up his nose and looking at Fred. “Did you tell them?” he asked quietly, sounding a bit grave.

Fred crossed his arms and said, “I didn’t tell them a thing! Do you think I’ll talk about it?”

Seeing Fred’s defensive stance, Lila looked from one man to another, before exclaiming, “Something did happen…” But then catching a glimpse of sadness in Tom’s eyes, before fully being engulfed in that blue-eyed glare, Lila quickly said, “But of course, you don’t have to tell us.”

Despite the initial hard expression, he just looked back down and let out a small smile. Truth was, Tom never heard from Vega again after that day at the Melbourne Airport. Not a “sorry”, not a text, not a “hi”, not even one peep. _Guilt, perhaps?_ He’d usually tell himself, remembering how the girl shies away when she realizes her short-comings. Especially how she apologized after realizing she hasn’t been returning his email for years. _But what is the point… I did promise her that if she doesn’t show up, I will stop pursuing her…_ _But to her to never say goodbye at all…_

Somewhere deep inside, Tom knew he’d love to see her again. It’s going to hurt, it’s going to sting, he’d probably gather up all the courage he never thought he had just so he can face her… But just like any other person, he misses her. _He does miss his best friend_. Even after everything that happened…

“It doesn’t matter,” Tom answered automatically, his thoughts seemingly somewhere else. “You know I’d do this for you, Mari. I am _honored_ to.”

The girl grinned up at him gratefully as she stood up and hugged him, while Lila gave an excited squeak. Fred flashed him a supportive smile as Tom looked over Mari’s shoulder, feeling much better with his decision. After all, this is all about _Mari_ … it’s not really about that other girl who made him feel as if he was left behind…

“After all,” he said, grinning at the bride-to-be. “What are friends for?”

 

***

 

“So Ben had to hold this party in Ibiza,” Tom continued speaking, somewhat animatedly waving his hands as his companion stood beside him with her chin in her hand listening. “And I get to dance the rumba with Haley Atwell and Jessica Chastain –“

“You were with Jessica Chastain,” Vega said flatly, dropping her hands.

For a moment, Tom thought he saw a hint of green in her eyes as she glared at him. It somewhat suddenly made something in him leap, but he tried to shush the feeling down, knowing how improper it felt and it didn’t help with the moment.

“AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME?!”

He felt himself jump when Vega playfully hit his arm with the back of her hand, eyes glinting in complete disappointment as if she found out in the papers that he actually got a role in the next Star Wars film and he hid it from her all along.

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” she exclaimed, causing Tom to lower his head and hide a grin. This was the Vega he remembered. The Vega who cracked jokes with him, gave him these little punches that didn’t hurt at all, and barked at him as if he dropped the milk. But somehow this made him even more uncomfortable when he realized that this was the Vega he _loved_ …

“I never knew that she was a favorite of yours, Vega,” Tom said playfully, those blue eyes searching her pouty face.

“She is! I loved her in _The Help_ ,” she rolled her eyes and said. “Of course you didn’t know about that. AND HAYLEY ATWELL?! Ugh Tom, I hate you.” She lightly punched his arm again, making him wince a bit as he swerved out of the way, subtly wishing that she’d stop being physical because it made him miss her even more.

“I thought friends tell each other things,” she said to him disdainfully.

Tom found himself pursing his lips after drinking from his glass, eyeing his whiskey silently as he slowly turned to look at the girl whom he would have claimed to be “breathtaking” in her hat and sundress if he didn’t feel that it was too inappropriate... considering his feelings...

“I thought friends tell each other goodbyes,” he suddenly shot back.

There was something in those brown eyes that flashed that Tom couldn’t recognize. Was it hate? Was it guilt? Was it shock? But nonetheless, Vega did not answer but she just ended up looking down at her closed shoes before shrugging and silently turning her ring around her finger.

“Well,” Vega spoke, trying to change the subject. “It seems like a good year to me. Oh,” she added. “Congratulations on the Olivier, the Golden Globe, and yes, including the Oscar Nomination.” Tom found himself running a hand through his long dark curls when the woman just ran through his current accolades. “About time, really,” Vega said, eyes widening.

“Thank you,” he whispered, just enough for her to hear. “And congratulations again.”

The woman just smiled up at him, setting her empty glass down on the banister, still unconsciously playing with the ring on her finger.

“Will you be staying in London for Mari’s wedding?” Tom suddenly burst with the question that has been bugging him for quite a while. “I mean, of course you’re attending Mari’s wedding –“

Vega laughed. “Of course! Well yes,” she added thoughtfully. “I’ll be around London. You see, I got a permanent position in the Way London HQ.”

Tom parted his lips as he listened to her, blue eyes suddenly just plastered on the words that came out of her mouth.

“Might actually consider moving here,” she added, looking out at the view beside the Olympia. “Gale says it would be nice to start a family here.”

“Gale is your –“

She turns to him and smiles. “Yeah, Gale is my fiancé.”

Tom closes his mouth and nods, placing a hand around his neck as he turned to look out at the view as well. “Well it seems like a good choice,” he tells her. “Never considered staying and raising a family in Melbourne?”

Vega looked up and shrugged. “It’s another option.” Her taller friend just nodded and looked at their almost empty glasses sitting on the banister.

“So,” Tom started again, feeling the tension in the air making the air even more humid. “Will you invite me to your wedding if you’re ever holding it here?”

The woman turned to him with her face scrunched up in a frown, as if she was offended. Nonchalantly hitting Tom on the shoulder again, Vega spurted, “Of course I’m inviting you! Why wouldn’t I? That’s really mean of me if I didn’t.”

 _But I don’t think I’ll be comfortable seeing you in a wedding dress, about to be married to the “Man of your Dreams”_ … Tom thought sorely as she saw her smile to herself.

He just ended up exchanging smiles with her as the moment was extended with much of the awkward silence.

“Thain,” Vega found herself speaking as she suddenly reached out and touch his arm. “I’m really glad I caught you here. I… I think it’s safe to say now that I wanted to talk to you.”

He turned to look at her, his eyes seemingly void of emotion as he just nodded at her. _Why didn’t you talk to me back then?_ An angry voice seemed to scream in his head. _I never heard from you again! I just wanted to hear your voice, or somewhat read your words… To soften the blow of what happened in Melbourne…_

Tom just ended up shaking off those thoughts as he found himself smiling at the girl, nodding as he said, “Yeah, I’m glad to see you too, Aeoren.”

The sound of how her old screen name escaped his lips somewhat comforted Vega as she nodded and patted his arm before letting go. “Well, I’ve got another appointment to attend to,” she exclaimed, clutching the bag on her shoulder. “So maybe I’ll see you around?”

Her tall friend moved back from the banister and slipped his hands in his pockets as he nodded. “Yes,” Tom answered. “I think we’ll still see each other around.”

Tilting her head in that precious manner Vega never expressed during that time when Tom seemingly tried to court her, she grinned brightly at him before turning on her heels and saying, “I’ll see you around then.” As he nodded and warmly smiled back, waving a bit, the girl looked him in the eye for a few moments before walking away.

As he watched her gracefully make her way towards the exit, that beautiful sundress shifting with every step of her feet, Tom found himself slowly becoming mesmerized with how the girl seemed to have a power over him. But remembering that awful memory of repeatedly looking at his phone, stopping himself from calling her number, and looking disdainfully out of the big windows of a terminal caused him to clench his hands involuntarily, reminding himself that this is the girl who broke his heart a year ago.

Little does he know that as Vega walked away, her eyes suddenly softened and her smile disappeared as she remembered their last conversation. She slowly stole one last look at the man whom she called her “best friend”, as he shifted from his space, downing what remained of his whiskey in one go before leaving the open area, seemingly sober and silent.

As she went out of the Studio C exit door and back into the convention area hall, she silently bit her lip, seemingly deep in thought, before she walked away with a small yet sad smile on her face… and hope in her eyes.


	4. The Flat Project

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they trudge on with their lives, Tom deals with his apartment problems... as Vega looks around to find a place of her own.

After an early morning run, Tom decides to take a shower before meeting up with his agent.

It was a warm and sunny Monday, and he did attend quite a rowdy Con Afterparty the night before where he managed to be invited to a posh social-media journalist’s flat where he gracefully accepted a nightcap and coyly participated in a quick shag. However, she was too drunk and disoriented by the time he wanted to politely say goodbye, he even forgot to get her name.

 _Was it Ellie, Ella… or was it Erin?_ Tom asked himself as the water ran down his face. He shook his head as water went flying around, running a hand through his curls as he smirked, dragging his hand across his face.

 _This is a mess, Tom_ … he spoke in his head as he slowly turned the tap off and grabbed his gray colored loofa as he started scrubbing his chest. _Get a grip of yourself_ , the voice in his head shot back, as he winched and continued taking a bath.

He sighed, trying to convince himself that he did have a good time, and he did give that girl quite a good time… even if it was just for an hour. He smiled, having to remember how she moaned in a drunken manner as he raised her legs up high, almost bending them over his shoulder. In the middle of recreating in his mind the sexual escapade he had earlier, he found himself clenching his hand, squeezing the loofa in the process, as he gritted his teeth.

 _Fred would often tell me that I’m getting a little bit out of hand_ , he told himself silently, as he opened his eyes. _And silly thing is, I’m being told off by a classic player like him…_

Tom snorted, as he placed his hand on the tap, preparing to soak himself clean. However the moment he turned it, no water came out.

“Huh?” he exclaimed, blinking as he looked up at the shower just above his head, wondering what happened when it just worked fine just a few minutes ago…

Adjusting the spout, wondering if it just clogged again, Tom found himself jerking his jaw as he reached up to twist it in frustration… when suddenly the spout came off, and a whole deluge of water splashed all over his head, creating a never-ending fountain of water, splashing his walls and soaking his tub.

“Shit,” he spat as he was drenched from head to toe, washing away the soap he lathered on himself earlier.

 

 

***

 

“ _Can you believe that woman? She barges in the café where I frequent unannounced, not even telling me that she will be staying! Here! IN LONDON! And to think about it, just when I think the girls would be going to Paris to look for a proper Wedding Dress for Mari; this little twerp didn’t even let me know that she has to stay behind BECAUSE SHE’S PLANNING TO SETTLE HERE! SHE’S EVEN LOOKING FOR A FLAT! **AND SHE DIDN’T EVEN TELL ME! THE NERVE!**_ ”

Tom dropped his jaw, thinking of something to say to Fred as he endlessly rambled over the phone, but he just hopelessly covered his eyes with his hand as he watched his flat’s plumbing service attempt to fix his tap problem that has continued to flood his bathroom.

“Wow,” he said, blinking. “Max is moving here in London? That’s quite a surprise…” Tom gave one of the plumbers a questioning gesture, to which the worker just gave him an unsure shrug. Crossing his arms after feebly smiling, he returned to his phone and said, “Have any idea where she may be staying?”

Suddenly, he got a call-wait. “Hold on, Freddy my man,” he replied quickly, as he went to the door to sign something a service representative handed him through the door. Clamping the phone between his head and his shoulder, he tried to end the call in the middle of Fred’s qualms. “I’ll call you back, I’ve got another call.”

“This better not be another of your booty calls, Thomas –“

_Click._

“Hiiiiiiiiiiii Tom!”

The sound of a flirty female voice and Fred’s warning just caused a shiver to rise from his spine. For a moment, he thinks either his best friend knows him too much, or he’s overdoing this… _healing_ thing that a shrink friend suggested. To his relief, the moment the person on the other end of the receiver was joined by a roster of other female voices he recognized, he realized that it was just Mari and the girls who went with her to Hampshire calling him up.

“Mari!” He said gaily. “What a pleasant surprise.”

“Good to hear from you Thain!” the voice slightly crackled from under all the static, but nonetheless her voice was clear enough. The chatting and giggling on the other side was clear enough for him to audibly hear as well. _I wonder if she’s with them…_ “Well, we just called you up just to ask you if it would be fine with you if we included you in our list of the Wedding Entourage?”

Tom raised his eyebrows and said, “I really wouldn’t mind, Mari,” he answered right away. “I’d actually be glad to.”

She answered back sweetly, as he heard the clapping of two hands from the other line. “Oh you’re such a sweetheart, Thain,” she exclaimed. “Thank you so much! I could hug you right now.”

“Just hug me when you girls get back,” Tom said with a smile, slightly frowning as he wondered why he was being such a flirt.

“Oh you will be doing a lot of hugging when we get back,” Mari suggested mischievously, causing him to raise an eyebrow. “I heard that someone’s moving there in London pretty soon…”

Tom bit his lip. “Yeah, Fred just told me that Max’s planning to stay here in London –“

“Oh hush,” Mari teased as the giggling was heard behind her again. “I hear that Vega got promoted and she’s moving in London… I know that you of all people should be aware of that. Maybe it’s time to be nicer to your _sister_ and consider that _past is past_ , no?”

A small glint appeared in his eyes, and anyone who would have seen Tom wouldn’t have been able to identify if it was pain or aggravation. “ _But I’m always nice to her…_ ” he whispered defensively, his sunny demeanor disappearing.

“Of course you are, Thain!” the giggling from the other line was infectious but quite annoying to his ears. “Just a friendly reminder from your sisters!”

“Oh Mari,” Tom mused, smiling as he shook his head. “I wish you only the best for you and Pete.”

“Thanks Tom!”

And with that he ended the call. Shaking his head, he was dialing Fred’s number when he heard a cry from one of the plumbers in his bathroom suddenly cried out, and a loud _pooom_ sounded from his kitchen. Running to see what it is, he suddenly saw one of the men running towards his sink that was now leaking… not to mention that something was already dripping from his ceiling…

Tearing at his hair, he slumped on one of his walls and placed the phone on his ear.

“Fred?” he exclaimed as his friend answered. “Can you get me Max’s number? I have a proposition about her flat problem…”

 

***

 

“What do you think?”

Vega excitedly eyed the tall church-style window that framed the side of the apartment, as the old-lady who served as the real estate broker watched her with much amusement as she moved quickly around the small but classy flat, with its wooden floors and dazzling mezzanine with bay windows streaming sunlight in. “It’s beautiful, Gale…” she sighed out loud as a tall figure appeared behind her as she looked out of one of the windows.

He followed her clicking heels from the entrance, after chatting a bit with the real estate woman. He had broad shoulders and stood almost a foot higher than his fiancée, with his deep brown hair brushed slightly to the side, his bangs crowning his strongly featured face highlighted by sharp cheekbones. He was clean shaven and had a thin set of lips, despite the pouty lower lip. His green eyes looked sweetly down at the little girl that suddenly emerged out of Vega, as she placed a hand on the wooden frames of the window and turned to face him.

“Come on Gale,” she pleaded, her lips breaking into a smile. “What do you think, sweetie?”

He looks around and wrinkles his nose, pointing to a spot, saying… “That would be a nice place for that wide couch you’ve been eyeing back in Ikea…”

Vega rolls her eyes and laughs, clinging to his arm like a new girlfriend. “Come on honey,” she coos. “What do you really think?”

Tilting his head as they moved away from the real estate woman who had been eyeing them with big doe eyes, overwhelmed by their sweetness, Gale led Vega towards a quiet space. “Sweetheart,” he said with that strong Australian accent. “I think it’s a bit too expensive for the two of us.”

Vega’s face fell, and the pouty lower lip appeared. “Really?” she sighs. “But it’s just perfect…”

Gale just wrinkles his nose adorable at her before kissing the tip of her button nose as he moved away, hands still in the pockets of his blazer. Vega looked around disdainfully, fingers suddenly around her ring again, turning it around madly.

“It may be expensive,” the girl lobbied as she stepped closer towards Gale’s tall gait. “But you know this – I recently got the job I was talking about. I’m getting a promotion, Gale. I think with my contribution, we can keep this kind of flat…”

Gale turns to her and smiles, “You got it? Oh Vega sweetie,” he says as he kisses her forehead, causing the girl to smile contentedly as he does. “I’m so proud of you. But you see, I’ve got some news too…”

The girl gulped. “Please don’t tell me this is bad news, honey…”

The man shook his head and smiled, showing her those pearly whites. “I got a promotion back home too, darling. It’s a project that I need to work on for a year… If I go back, and you know I have to –“ he looks sadly around the big flat. “I’d have to tell you that this little nook is too big just for you.”

Seeing his point, Vega just sighed. “You do have a point…”

Her fiancé looked down on her and placed a thumb under her chin, causing her to look him in the eye. Vega gently transitioned from her sour look to something sweeter as he bent over to kiss her gently on the lips, on the nose, and then on the forehead. “I’m sorry about this sweetheart,” he whispered in her hair as he held her in his arms. “But you do know the reason why I decided to take this promotion…”

Vega looked up from within his arms to give him a questioning expression. “You never told me,” she whispered.

He looked out of the window and smiled. “This I promise you – if I go back home in Melbourne for that job, I can give you one thing… a London Wedding.”

He felt the girl’s breath hitch as Vega couldn’t deny at all that she blushed.

“Can I have a small wedding though?” she whispered. “Just you, me, our parents, and our friends?”

“Anything you want,” Gale whispered back.

Vega bit her lip, as she felt her chest rise with the idea of getting married… here in London. And she could have her parents, and it could be a summer wedding too and… she could have her friends and her closest friends over…

“I promise you this,” the man said as he took the girl’s face in his hands. “When I secure the project in a year, we can get married. Here. Or anywhere you want.”

The girl blinked slowly as she looked up at him, completely beaming in bliss. As the two shared another kiss, the real estate broker excused herself as she stepped out, giving the two their moment. Gale was in the middle of slowly snogging Vega, when someone’s phone starting beeping.

Gently disengaging from the kiss, Vega made a face as she took the phone out of her jacket and mimicked the way Gale wrinkled his nose as she answered her phone. “Hello?” she said exasperatedly, covering her eyes, wondering why did she even let herself be deprived of a good snogging session.

“Sweetie!” Vega almost jumped when she recognized Mari’s voice.

“Hello Little-Miss-Bride-To-Be,” the girl teased as she winked at her fiancé who just sniggered as he moved towards the back of the room, seemingly inspecting one of the lower rooms. “What suddenly brings you to call me up?” Once Gale was completely out of her angle, Vega whispers into the phone vehemently, “You just interrupted a good snogging session woman, _this better be good_!”

Loud giggling and _ooooooohs_ were heard from the other side of the phone, making Vega purse her lips once she realized that she wasn’t really alone with Mari in the conversation.

“Oh Vega,” Mari coos over the phone. “When will you let us meet that precious fiancé of yours?”

“In due time,” Vega barks, crossing her arm.

“Will you make sure that Tom’s with us when you do?” The giggling just won’t stop. “Your _brother_ deserves to see what kind of man you replaced him with –“

“What kind of mother-batshit was that?” Vega almost cussed at the phone. But considering this is Mari, _oh sweet_ Mari, she just couldn’t do that. If it was Max, she would have probably unleashed all the curses she knows, even those in her native language.

“Alright sweetheart, calm down,” Mari said in a sing-song tone, causing Vega to bury her face in her hands, slightly smearing away a part of her eyeshadow, causing her to retouch it in complete frustration later in the loo. “We just called up to remind you that you are on the list to become one of my honored bridesmaids…”

“Oh isn’t that sweet…” Vega said sarcastically, before bouncing back to change her tone. “No really Mari, that really is sweet…”

“I’m glad to hear that from you, Aeo darling!” Mari said in a tone that made Vega wince, remembering _someone_ else who loved to use that term of endearment with her old screen name. “You should have been here with us in Paris! We’re having a wonderful time looking at the latest fashion for wedding dresses!”

“You’re in Paris?!” Vega exclaimed. “Oh God, I hate you.”

“We tried contacting you! But your phone was busy!” Mari’s voice crackled on the phone. “Must be some fiancé-kinky time eh?”

Vega giggled. “Probably.” Guffawing and catcalling could be heard over the phone. The girl shyly turned to look at Gale who was still looking around the flat, only to turn around and give his fiancée a wink, causing Vega to blush a bit.

“Please don’t tell me you’re getting an Oscar de la Renta gown…”

“OH THANK YOU FOR THE SUGGESTION, VEGA SWEETIE!”

“Jesus Christ, Mari… that’s expensive… _Gimme the store_.”

“Come on sweetie!” Mari cooed. “Paris is just a train away! We’ll wait for you! We can meet tomorrow!”

The girl palmed her face. “I have stuff going on for today Mari…”

“Alright, alright!” her friend exclaimed over the phone. “I won’t bother you and your pretty fiancé whose face I haven’t seen yet… But you promise me, Vega!”

“I promise!” she roared.

“And you promise to come to my Wedding Shower, you little dweeb,” Mari teased. “We’re going to have all the male strippers we can have. And wine! WINE OVER ALL THE MALE STRIPPERS!”

Vega giggled. “I wonder how much wine you already had at 2pm, Mari,” she said, before being interrupted as Gale placed his big hands over her shoulder, slightly massaging her back, causing the girl to bite her lip as he pressed himself against her back.

“Alright I won’t keep you from your fiancé, Vega!” Mari said again. “I’ll see you soon!”

“Bye!” Vega said blissfully before turning around to face her fiancé with that predatory and hungry look on her face as she slipped a hand under his blazer to caress his chest that was covered by that soft cottony fabric of his beige dress shirt.

“Where were we?” Gale teased before he started kissing her lips again.

 

***

 

Just as Mari placed down the phone, the girls sitting beside her on the bench, with Lila and Sam leaning over her just behind them gave her a questioning look. “I wonder what Vega’s fiancé looks like…” Mari said curiously.

“Did you hear his voice?” Lila asked. Mari just shook his head.

“He’ll turn up eventually,” Lis said as-a-matter-of-factly. “Vega can’t hide him from us forever.” The girls nodded in approval.

“It’s just surreal that Vega’s suddenly getting married,” Sam said, wrinkling her nose as she bit on a churros she just bought.

“Yeah,” Mari said sadly. “And we actually thought that she and Thain would actually hit it off last year…”

Silence suddenly reigned over the group of four, making them wonder about that small little fling that seemed to have been between Tom and Vega, just before they left London. They knew something flared up when they left, but they didn’t know all about it since Max barely discussed it, and Fred would just laugh about it if anyone mentioned it nowadays. But the sudden news of Vega getting married thrilled them… and somewhat made them feel sorry for the “brother” she left behind…

“Not to mention that it seems like some awkwardness still exists between our Thain and Aeo…” Mari said sadly. “I hope it’ll be gone by the time my Wedding Day arrives.”

“It’d better be,” Lis snorts. “I’d suggest that you convince Fred and Tom to pose as strippers for your Wedding Shower, Mari…” she suggested, causing Sam to choke on her churros as Mari and Lila exchange awkward glances, only to end up sniggering.


	5. The Correspondents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Vega's team of misfits: August, Carrie, Toph, and Sasha... as they go on fieldwork in the Ritz to cover a press conference of Joss Whedon's latest Shakespeare Adaptation.

“You guys know the drill. Especially you Sasha. Warner Bros will have you covered when you’re in the Ritz, all you need to do is show your badge. Derek from Marketing will be there to accompany you, and our gallant camera production team in the guise of Eric and Damien will be accompanying you. Of course they’ve got Topher working with them too because we’ve got Carrie doing some report field work too…”

Vega stands in the middle of a four-man team, dressed in her normal-day cardigans, that favorite purple blouse she bought from Melbourne, and a pair of black slacks, almost dressed to kill. In front of her sat a mousy-faced boy who was probably two or three years her junior with bright red hair, a beautiful and tall girl with glistening olive skin dressed in a bohemian fashion save for her high-heeled stilettos, a cute little blonde girl with bonnie-blue eyes in her preppy outfit and iPad, as well as a stern looking hazel-haired man whom she knew all the way when she was still an intern in Way Melbourne. Three men dressed in black Way-logoed t-shirts sat behind them, seemingly identified to be the camera crew.

It has only been a few weeks since Vega has been installed in the position as the Editor for the Way Celebrity Showdown column. After the previous editor had a divorce and a fall-out with the management, her decision to retire caused the higher ups to abolish and change the look for the entire “Celebrity Column” by putting in fresh faces and giving them a team lead who was known for her excellent fieldwork back in Way Melbourne.

“August, I need you to be a mentor to Carrie,” Vega instructed. “This is her first press con and I don’t want her to feel left out.”

“Thank you Vega,” the blonde nodded in her direction, fixing the glasses on her nose. The other bespectacled girl who was supposedly her supervisor nodded and was about to speak when the older, thin-lipped Senior Writer suddenly speak out.

“Weren’t you supposed to mentor, Carrie?” August asked, crossing his arms. “Wait a minute – aren’t you coming with us?”

Vega turned to the caramel-skinned girl whom she called “Sasha” and they exchanged sour looks. “August,” the woman in the purple blouse and the newly styled glasses sighed. “I am going to the Ritz -- but in an hour. I need to secure the permit that has been botched by Darryl’s secretary yesterday when she thought it was for the Way Celebrity Photoshoot…” Vega hissed under her breath, slightly balling her fists as she remembered her boss – the Assistant Editor-in-Chief – asking her to do it again after the flighty-headed secretary accidentally shredded her previous form. “Can you at least give me that favor? You know that our Junior Writer is very fond of you.”

Carrie nervously looked from her Team Leader to the Senior Writer who had an unusual tension forming between them.

“As long as she doesn’t get in the way of my interviews, I’m fine,” August snorted, but Vega was already talking to a Promotional Officer who arrived with a few brochures that she distributed among her team.

“Here’s the press invitation kit for _Twelfth Night_ ,” Vega said as she handed each person a copy. “You will get the press release kit when you get there, and please please please no more stowing away of food… I was embarrassed with what happened the last time with Guillermo Del Toro’s fantasy film –“

“They had Turkish Delight, okay?” Sasha said guiltily.

“Eat it on the spot, Sash,” Vega half-joked, shaking her head. “Anyway… Please get a hold of Joss Whedon if you can,” she begged. “If one of you can get an interview with the director, I would be more than happy. I’ll try to secure it with you when I get there though, Sash,” she said to her Promotional Officer and Column Journalist.

“So,” the small Asian girl exclaimed, clasping her hands. “Are we good? Any questions?”

The four people on Vega’s team exchanged looks and shook their heads, as small occurrences of “Nope” was heard in the air. She then turned to her graphics director turned cameraman and said, “You sure you’ll be fine with the camera work, Toph?”

The ginge boy nodded and said, “It’ll be quite a challenge Miss Vega.”

She wrinkled her nose at the fact that the term “Miss” was added to her name. Honestly, Vega wasn’t used to this kind of authority. She was winging it concerning that the only person who was older than her in the group was the incorrigible Augustus, and everyone else was either a fresh face or younger. _Or both_ , she said as her eyes fell on the nervous looking Carrie.

“Alright guys,” she said, grabbing her purse from the conference room table. “Break a leg, if that term is right. I’ll be with you once I get the permit fixed. And August –“ The plump yet tall man turned to her. “I’m holding you in charge of the team while I’m not yet there.”

“Whatever you say, Miss Guererro,” he said before exiting the room with the rest of the team. Vega frowned and wondered why the guy seemed to despise her. She just decided to shake it off and made her way towards the elevators.

 

 

***

 

Uttering a long and loud sigh just after having the said clearance signed, approved, and forwarded to the Auditing Department, Vega trudged almost miserably towards the elevator, looking tired even before the day was finished. Her face just suddenly had to light up when the elevator doors opening with a loud _ping!_

“VEGA ADELIE GUERRERO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!”

The girl’s jaw dropped. In front of her stood a girl a few inches taller than her, a complexion a few notches darker, dressed in the classiest Gucci found in the district… wearing a small yet noticeable wedding ring on her right hand’s ring finger.

“JESZEL?!!” Vega exclaimed as the woman stepped out of the elevator and enveloped her small body with a hug. “WHAT ARE _YOU_ DOING HERE?!”

Her old friend and previous co-worker smiled down at her as she held the elevator and said, “Come girl, we’ve got loads to talk about!”

“I know the best place!” Vega exclaimed as she jumped in the elevator with her.

“OUR FAVORITE TEA SPOT IN THE 9TH FLOOR!” Both girls exclaimed with a shared squee as the elevator door closed up in front of them.

In a span of five minutes, they were once again seated in their favorite spot, a pair of sofas in the Way Coffee Bar.

“Look at you!” Jeszel admired the girl who just beamed in her spot as she sat in that comfy brown chair she often frequented during those days when she used to bury herself in work after her little “falling out” with her best buddy… “Our little Vegastar’s grown up isn’t she?”

“And what’s this I heard about you?” She shot back, admiring her friend by playing a bit with her permed hair. “You’re already married?!”

Jes proudly showed off her bejeweled finger as Vega – the Vega who hated love a year before – jumped in and ate the scene up as if it was chocolate, squeezing and giggling like a blushing bridesmaid as she held her friend’s hand in hers, admiring the wedding ring. “Why didn’t you _tell me_?!!” Vega almost barked, despite the excitement and joy in her voice.

“I didn’t want to disturb the newest Editor of Way London you know,” she teased, as both girls laughed out loud, slightly disturbing the very small number of patrons in the coffee shop.

Once the laughter has subsided, the conversation turned to something more casual and recent.

“What’s up with Carol nowadays?”

“She continued her cooking courses upon the funding of her boyfriend… Did you know she’s preparing to be a housewife?”

“What about Cris, have you heard about her?”

“That girl switched to the news business, heard she’s an anchor now back home – Don’t change the subject, Vey! We heard you’ve got a fiancé!“

Blushing, Vega cups her chip with her ringed hand, that black gem twinkling from her hand. Now it was Jes’s turn to grab her hand, cooing over the large black opal that adorned Vega’s hand.

“Since when?!” Jesz gasped.

“Almost six months ago,” Vega answered.

“And you’re getting married when?” her friend asked.

Vega shrugged. “Hopefully next year.”

Both girls ended up squealing before hugging each other. The conversation jumped from weddings to the planning, then eventually the wedding fashion as Jesz talked to Vega about her affordable yet classy gown that was made by a famous Italian designer.

“It was made by _the_ Gionatta Deolino,” she bragged, handing Vega the calling card of the woman in the discussion who happened to be the sister-in-law of the cousin of the brother of her then husband. “You probably know now why I ended up with that heavenly design at such a reasonable expense…”

Vega made a cute scrunchy face at her old friend. “Come on Jesz,” she moaned. “You’re just really lucky…” She turned the card over her hand and smiled. “I’ll still keep this, who knows maybe I can just drop your name and she’ll give me a discount.”

Jes laughed as the girl hid the card in her organizer, only to be distracted by her beeping phone.

“Oh drats,” Vega suddenly whined, checking the message. “I gotta go run in a bit Jes, I gotta be at the Ritz. August is apparently being a badger by bossing the new kids around.”

Jes frowned. “August? You mean that dope _Augustus Shay_?”

Vega snorted and then nodded in her direction. Jes made a rude sound. “Wow,” she said quietly. “I can’t believe that Shay is still here in London. We remember him being all haughty for being transferred to the main Way HQ, but after he botched a report on Katy Perry’s wardrobe malfunction, rumor has it that he’s quite the annoying and useless twit in the department.”

The other woman just shrugged and said, “Ex-POs from our batch says he’s just bitter since he’s been placed under the team of another Ex-Promotional Officer from his batch, and he’s not really taking that kind of situation lightly.”

Jes snorted and asked, “Really? I wonder who that Ex-PO is who became his new boss…”

“Me,” Vega answered flatly, causing the other girl to gasp and squeal, as the two old friends exchanged high fives.

“Oh please, Vey!” Jes exclaimed in a high tone, clenching her left hand and propping her chin over it as she admired her friend. “We all know that August had a secret crush on you even before you had that little London Expedition last year with Holly.”

Vega frowned as she took a sip from her coffee. “Ew.”

Both girls just laughed and clinked glasses in agreement to each other’s statements.

 

***

 

By the time those pretty Mary Janes started clicking in the Ritz Conference hall, Vega was expecting a huge horde of people or her team going berserk with all the stress they were put through concerning a huge ensemble cast they had to latch their hands onto. She was expecting both, but she was pleased to see the clockwork of people from various networks, different entertainment magazines, as well as fans and spectators, standing nearby to catch a glimpse of the stars of Joss Whedon’s latest modern Shakespeare adaptation.

Vega was to admit that despite admiring Whedon’s work, she committed a small sin an entertainment columnist could ever make: she forgot to research on the film’s background. Alright, she knew what Twelfth Night was all about, she read passages of it back in English Enrichment back when she was in High School, and had to get into a debate with her Classics teacher once she became a sophomore in College… but the film aspects of it, such as the cast and crew… Well, she left that information to her own production crew. After all, she was there to make sure that the process was clean and tidy as it went, no person left uninterviewed, all questions covered, each interviewer fed and taken care of… Well at least that’s what she believed she should do. This whole new _management_ thing is somewhat new to her, despite having to handle a team of three or two back when she was running convention coverages in Melbourne a few months ago.

Pleased with the nods and the updates she got from the Way Marketing Handle-Person named Derek, she was planning to check up subtly on each of her team members… until she saw Topher trying to escape the huge horde of fans and press personalities, breathlessly trying to get to her.

“Miss Vey,” he said, panting, a bit of panic on his face.

Blinking, Vega jumped into the horde and approached the sweat-covered youth who was still holding to his clipboard. “Toph,” she said in an assuring manner as she clasped his shoulder. “You alright?”

“I’m so glad you’re here,” he said in a tone that kind of worried the young woman. “It’s Carrie… her first two interviews went fine… but now we’re prepping up for the last one, and she’s having a panic attack.”

She furrowed her eyebrows worriedly as she gave Derek a nod as she trudged into the crowd with her graphic director, letting him lead the way as they approached one of the smaller convention rooms where the one-on-one press interviews were held. “Where’s August?” she asked, looking and peeking in the rooms, seeing Sasha interviewing the star of the film: Kaya Scodelario.

“Interviewing Whedon.”

Vega was surprised when she actually rolled her eyes. “Well that’s a relief,” she said, remembering that she did ask all of them to get their hands on Whedon, but she expected Sasha to aim for that goal.

They didn’t even have to go into the last press room, when they found the little blonde pacing in place outside. The moment the girl saw her, she ran right into Vega’s open arms, shaking a little bit like a rattle snake as she tried to compose herself.

“What happened?” Vega said a bit of disdain as she forced the smaller girl to look at her face. “Get a grip of yourself, Carrie.”

She smiled, adjusted her glasses, and then fiddled with her mic attached to her collar. Vega noticed that the girl’s finest blazer was removed her person, sitting somewhere in the interview room, probably on her interviewer’s chair.

“Just so nervous,” Carrie chattered, speaking quickly as if she can churn out a hundred words a minute. “Just so nervous - just so nervous… I’m surrounded by high-class theatre thespians and I just- I just- I just couldn’t think of the best thing to say…”

Vega peeked in the room, to find one of the stars Carrie was about to talk to, sitting with their back to the door, being prepped up by the make-up department. “You know, let me tell you one thing, Car,” Vega said reassuringly.

The girl stopped shaking and looked up at her with those big blue eyes. Blinking, Vega opened her mouth. “You know, you kind of remind me of my old self,” she muttered, remembering her first photoshoot project, laughing in her head how she was big sea of calm right now, after going through various projects that involved Matt Damon, Tom Cruise, Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and even Jennifer Lawrence. Vega could say that nothing can shake her off her rocker now, but who knows. She knows she finally got control. “A bag of nerves, shaking at every opportunity.”

Carrie laughed nervously. “But girl,” Vega said, a bit of laughter escaping her. “You gotta remember, you’re working for Way. Think of the accolades, think of the reputation, think of the possibilities! You on your own are a force to be reckoned with! I bet you – if you’re cowering with anxiety in front of these stars, I bet they cower too thinking about what you’re about to ask them!”

The girl just laughed nervously in her face again. Tut-tuting, Vega gripped her shoulders and said, “Pish posh, Carr. Those celebs are just the same as you are. If I know, they ate the same kind of breakfast as you did this morning. You can even discuss that as an icebreaker! Come on Carr, you can _accomplish_ anything. Just like them!”

Finding her strength, the girl nodded. Vega smiled to herself, with a knowledge that made her age a year or two, as she tapped the girl’s shoulder, letting her grip loosen. “Now compose yourself, as I go give that celebrity you’re so afraid of five minutes for you to get ready,” she laughed ironically as she stepped into the room.

Still chuckling to herself, she saw the make-up artist move away from the cast member as she entered the room. Realizing it’s an actor, she watched the make-up girl tap the man on the shoulder, whispering something in his ear as she approached the set.

“Hello sir, I hope I’m not disturbing you,” Vega started, clasping her hands as she spoke in the most professional manner she knew of. Talking to celebrities is something she has mastered over the past few years, this one that made Carrie into a bag of nerves wasn’t really a challenge for her. “We would like to apologize for the delay –“

The man turned around to the sound of her voice and gaped at her with that slightly trimmed beard, long ginger hair that was almost brown, as he eyed her from head to toe.

Vega on the other hand, almost choked on her words as she stopped herself from taking another step as she gaped back at those blue eyes she knew from anywhere.

“Oh,” Tom Hiddleston croaked as he looked at her, blinking as he fidgeted in his chair. “I-It’s no problem –“

The girl suddenly dropped her eyes on the floor as she clasped her hands harder, sort of berating herself in that moment, wondering why she _didn’t even bother checking the motherfucking cast list_ before she ran into the Ritz for the _Twelfth Night_ press con. She smiled nervously, suddenly remembering that horrified looking Promotional-Officer standing in the Way HQ Conference room almost two years ago, turning pale when she found out her best-friend-and-prospect-lover was the model for their photoshoot.

“Hey,” she said awkwardly and informally, raising her brown eyes to meet with Tom’s.

“Hi,” Tom whispered, eyes still locked on hers, looking breathtakingly gorgeous in that black dress shirt and black blazer, making Vega realize that the red on his cheeks weren’t the blush the make-up artist placed on before she stepped in. “Are you my interviewer?” He teased once he found his words, smiling at his old friend.

Vega laughed nervously, as she ran a hand through her hair. “No,” she said, causing Tom to smile even more as he dropped his eyes to the floor. “It’s _my_ interviewer to be honest,” she exclaimed softly, loud enough just for him to hear. “She’s pretty new, so be nice to her, okay?”

Tom nodded sheepishly and said, “Okay.”

That was when a tall man who probably was around August’s age stepped into the room and approached Tom, asking if he was doing fine, eyeing Vega for a moment. By the time he whispered that he was doing good and that his interviews are almost done, Vega realized that it was probably a representative from either WB or Hamilton Hodell.

Realizing she needs to step out, she smiled at the representative and the actor, saying, “Really sorry for the delay again, Mr. Hiddleston. The interviewer will be in shortly.”

“No problem really,” Tom called out as she stepped out of the room, silently gritting her teeth as she marched towards Carrie.

The new girl gave a little eep as Vega shook her head ironically, almost dragging her fingers through her hair with a pained look on her face to shake off the surprise she just had – finding her so-called longtime best friend who was an acclaimed celebrity, sitting in the press con room, waiting for her interviewer to talk to him.

“Seriously Carr?” Vega suddenly spurted out a sarcastic tone. “You’re scared of _Tom Hiddleston_?!!”

The girl blushed, made a small squeak, gripped her microphone and nodded, looking up with those eyes that reminded her of fangirls everywhere. Vega sighed and laughed ironically, remembering she wasn’t far from this kind of demeanor in the past. “Carrie, Carrie, Carrie,” she laughed as she placed a hand on the younger girl’s shoulder. “Let me tell you something about Hiddleston that can calm your nerves,” Vega said mischievously. “He’s not that special, I tell you. He sings to John William’s Indiana Jones Theme in the shower, and he refuses to eat anything but pudding for breakfast. Well there’s the occasional English Breakfast,” she whined. “But he often throws a tantrum if there’s no pudding. Now get in there and conquer your fears, woman!”

The girl allowed herself to be shoved into the room, gripping her microphone for dear life, as she was openly welcomed by the actor’s bright grin and friendly yet flirty demeanor.

 

***

 

“I am such a big fan of your work, Tom. I really am.”

“That is such an honor,” he said, slightly blushing, playing with his buttons like he does in his other interviews, biting his lips a bit. “Hearing that from you, of course.”

Carrie giggled. “Would you say you have an affinity for bad boys such as your character, Malvolio?”

“Well,” he suggestively buttoned and unbuttoned the tip of his shirt, smiling brightly at the cute little blonde girl in front of him. “I would say so… Do you like bad boys, Miss Carrie?”

The girl blushed, tucking back a blond lock behind her ear. “Pretty much, I’d say…”

 

Vega gaped at the scene unfolding before her very eyes, as she watched Toph, who was holding the camera, look away from the interview, trying so hard not to laugh. Letting a disbelieving gasp escape her mouth, watching her so-called _best friend_ flirt openly with his interviewer, who happened to be an innocent young woman new to the business, was something that wanted her to just shake her head in disdain and walk away.

 _Tom is an expert when it comes to this,_ she told herself. _Making the girls blush._ Making them squirm as he got underneath their skin with every little thing he does – whether its playing with his shirt’s buttons, biting his lips, winking, fixing his blazer, parting his lips as he talked… all the works. Vega wouldn’t say she was a veteran when it comes to this behavior, but this wasn’t what she had in mind when she told him to _go easy on Carrie_.

 

“It’s such a pleasure talking to you, Tom,” Carrie finally said her closing spiel, shaking the actor’s hand.

The actor winked back as he looked at her from head to toe, licking his lips. “The pleasure is mine as well, Miss Williams,” he said, his grip lingering on her hand as Carrie blushed even more than she should.

Vega clearly wanted to palm her face as she watched Toph trying sooo hard to hold in his laughter. As he turned off the camera, Carrie gave Tom a flirty little smile, before running out of the room like a little girl, right into Vega who suddenly had to put on an adoring expression, praising her interviewer with a smile.

“Oh Miss Vega!” Carrie exclaimed as she suddenly hugged the surprised looking Vega. “You really are right! Tom Hiddleston is so easy to talk to! I wouldn’t have done it without your encouragement!”

Her supervisor just smiled sheepishly as she removed herself from the girl’s embrace. “Aw come on Carr,” she said adoringly. “You did it all on your own. You’re ready to take on the world now. Great job, sweetie!”

“And he was so charming! He’s totally everything I expected! Thank you for letting me grab that chance!” She squealed again, before tugging on Toph’s arm as he fixed the equipment, as she exited the room. Toph just shot Vega a disbelieving look, before shaking his head as he laughed to himself, preparing the cameras for their pack-up.

Vega looked back in the interview room, only to find that another interviewer has taken Carrie’s place, and had started to talk to her old friend. Smiling to herself, realizing that maybe she could leave without interrupting Tom, she suddenly caught his eye when he turned to look at the door, those piercing sky blues seemingly searching her face for an expression…

The woman blinked and gave him her most grateful smile, parting her lips to show those pearly whites, sincerely thanking him in a silent manner for being kind and warm to her interviewer.

Tom suddenly paused in the middle of his interview, seemingly taking in her grin, as he shot her that soul-piercing stare, that predatory glare she hasn’t seen for more than a year…

“Saw something you liked, Tom?” The red-headed interviewer with the flattering dress and body asked the actor.

He tore his eyes from the girl standing outside the door and licked his lips, clearly flirting with the journalist. “Oh yes sweetheart,” he answered as he hungrily eyed the redhead. “I’m looking at it.”

“Oh please, Mr. Hiddleston,” the journalist giggled, fanning herself.

“Oh please call me Tom,” he shot back with that octave drop in his voice, causing the woman he was talking to, to erupt in a fit of giggles.

Vega, still standing at the door, looked disbelievingly at the scene she just saw, jaw still unhinged, wondering what shit she just watched. She did see Tom flirt with women before, but on purpose? She never imagined him being this way. Well clearly, she experienced the brunt of it a year ago, but seeing him use it on another woman… She suddenly wondered why she was still standing there.

Rolling her eyes at the man (even if he didn’t see it), she turned to one of her crewmen waiting for her in the sidelines, before she wormed her way back into the crowd of press people, linking arms with Toph as they prepared to exit the hall.


	6. Lip Service

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath and the consequences of what happened in the Twelfth Night Press Con. Also, Vega spends time with her fiancé. (Warnings: SMUT RIGHT AHEAD!)

_“Fancy seeing you here, Tom,” she said as she approached the bar._

_“Oh hello,” he said coolly as he licked his lips, pushing aside his glass of rum, letting his eyes roam the redhead interviewer’s plunging neckline and knee-high boots, showcasing those long and slender legs. “You’re Miss Davidson, aren’t you? The last interview I had?”_

_“Yes,” she said, leaning over the bar, giving him a better view of what he was looking at, biting her lip. “You know,” she teased lightly, running the tip of her finger over his glass. “I am pretty much a fan of Adam, his talented guitar-playing fingers, and those fine abs… Such a piece fine of work.”_

_Biting his lips in reply as he leaned towards her, Tom let out a soft growl. “Want to see more of that fine piece of work, darling?”_

 

But what a fine piece of work she was…

…as she straddled him with nothing left on her body left but those lacy stockings, placing such a beautiful contrast between her silky smooth skin and the rough patterns that ran across those slender legs wrapped around his exposed waist.

Tom had to suck in a gasp as he felt his hands clasp around that contour of her hip, as he lay on her hotel bed, thirty minutes after he allowed her to drag him into her room just at the 20th floor of the Ritz, strip each other off with their hands, mouth, and teeth, and proceed into having the sweetest quick fuck of their lives.

But it was the element of danger, that arousing feeling that any of the publicists could be nearby, the fact that Luke would be so angry if he finds out about this… and this naughty, yet intelligent redhead who asked him all the provocative questions earlier during the one-on-one interviews that turned him on so bad.

Smiling to himself amidst the guttural moans the girl was making as her body ate up his rigid shaft over and over again, it was the sight of her full rosy-tipped breasts that bounced with every jerk of his hips, her firm stomach, that small butterfly tattoo on her left hip, and the way she gasped whenever he let his long fingers saunter downwards her body to gently nudge and tease that precious pearl between her folds…

“Oh Thomas!” she groaned, bending over as she splayed her fingers all over his naked taut chest. “I’m so close –“

He sat up, grunting, as he slipped his hand over the small of her back, steadying her rocking body over his, as he slowly wrapped his other arm around her, holding her in place as he began to strengthen the way he thrust his cock in between her legs.

“Come for me then, darling,” he groaned in a deep voice as he pressed his lips against her neck, causing shivers to run up her spine as she threw her head back, arching her body towards him as he admired the way her red hair fell behind her.

Maintaining a rocking motion with his hips, he just couldn’t resist taking one of her nipples in her mouth as she arched herself towards him. As she groaned out his name, she could feel her walls starting to clench around his shaft, and it didn’t help when he used his free hand to grab her other tit.

That was when his phone started ringing again.

Opening his eyes as he glared at the device lying just beside him on the bed, Tom tugged at the nipple with his teeth, clearly frustrated as he slowed his thrusting and held the girl in his arms while he answered the call.

Not even checking who it was, he just barked in a deep and dangerous tone – “ ** _Not now, piss off_** ,” beforegrunting as he tossed the phone aside.

Still frustrated for having his _special time_ interrupted, he gave her a quick and hard thrust, before turning her body around and shoving her down her mattress, ignoring her cries of pleasure as he parted her legs and thrust himself once again inside of her quivering walls while she was on her knees.

 

***

 

He had to wait for almost half an hour more after showering and dressing up before he could leave the hotel. As he waited for Luke’s signal that the coast was clear, he found himself swapping spit with the girl he just fucked, watching her tease and flirt with him as she lay naked under her covers, asking him if they could do it again before she flew back to New York.

“Of course,” Tom teased as his tongue darted between his lips, while playing with that long luscious red hair. “If fate allows us, Miss Davidson – “

“Please,” she said, rolling her eyes, handing him a card from her purse. “Call me Sara.”

He could still remember the way she smells, the way she groaned out her name, and the way she climaxed, as he turned her card around his hands as he made his way for the elevator.

“Sara huh,” he sniggered to himself as he saved the number under the file in his iPhone that says “Black Book”. Seeing the multitude of numbers and names in there, Tom could only grin triumphantly to himself, feeling good about how he could fuck a beautiful woman when he wants to and how they just come flocking to him without him having to raise a finger.

That’s when his phone started to ring again.

“Luke,” he quickly answered. “Really sorry for the delay mate –“

“As I said,” said his publicist sternly. “Coast is clear. I already have a cab waiting for you at the back exit. Your hordes of fangirls wouldn’t find you there – we already informed them that you left with an entourage almost an hour earlier.”

“Thanks,” He said gratefully, pocketing a hand as he shuffled his feet. “Thanks a lot –“

“Take care of yourself, Tom. And you’ve got to stop this ridiculous behavior.”

A glint of guilt would have been seen in his eyes when the elevator stopped and the phonecall ended. The moment the elevator opened, you would have sworn that you would have seen shame in his eyes as he walked out.

The moment he got in the cab, he started checking the missed calls log on his phone… only causing him to frustratingly roll his eyes and ruffle his hair when he realized that the missed call he had during his secret fucking session came from none other than Fred.

Gritting his teeth as he dialed his number, Tom had no good words for his friend when he smugly answered his phone.

“Oh Hello Thomas,” Fred said slyly as he answered, causing Tom to roll his eyes.

“Hello yourself, mate,” he growled on the phone. “I could call you various versions of ‘cuntwad’ right now, but I’d rather be a gentleman…”

You should have heard Fred’s infectious laughter echoing from his phone as Tom popped a button off his shirt, and took off his dark blue blazer as he sat frustratingly at the back of the cab. “Thomas sounds cranky,” Fred teased. “Did I disturb Thomas’s sexytimes?”

“Oh hell you did –“

“That’s what you get for not sharing your sexual conquests with your so-called buddy,” Fred grunted smugly before he can finish. “Oh, just to let you know, Mari has been trying to contact you for the past three hours.” Tom felt his eyebrows shoot up as he placed the man on speakerphone so he could check his messages. There was about five of them, all from the bride-to-be. “Poor Zethora, she had no idea that Thain was boning a gorgeous stunner – Was she gorgeous?”

Tom then smiles and licks his lips. “Luscious, even,” he answered breathily.

“More scrumptious than Liara?”

Shaking his head, Tom rolls his eyes and smiles. “Probably.”

He heard the man whistle from the other side of the line as he remembered how the hot redhead teased him with her provocative words and how she kept her promise by “testing his caliber” by riding him hard… Running a hand through his hair, he listened to Fred say, “Well aren’t you a lucky chap, mate. At least you’re lucky that you weren’t subjected to fire after fucking that woman…”

Tom squinted as he looked out of the cab. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t tell me that you forgot what happened after you boned my delicious associate, Hiddleston.”

The man remembered that scene just right outside his bedroom door… and he remembered exactly _who_ was waiting outside with a blank expression when Lia marched out of his room without her clothes on. It was almost the same blank expression that was looking from the door outside the Ritz Conference Room earlier when he turned to flirt with his interviewer, whom he ended up fucking an hour later.

Groaning, Tom buried his face in his free hand, with the other one still holding his phone. “Can we…” he muttered as his demeanor shifted from something naughty to something forlorn. “Not… talk about that, Fred?”

A soft chuckle was heard from the other end of the line. “Sorry mate,” Fred said apologetically. “Didn’t mean it. But something happened… didn’t it?”

Tom leaned back on his seat as he ran a finger over his lips, trying to remember how she looked like… Small hoop earrings dangling from her ears, accenting the way her short hair touched her chin, how that purple dress shirt fit her body perfectly, those dark cardigans framing her shoulders, giving her a deceiving yet perfect innocent school girl look, without making her look too young or too prudish… He ended up sighing as he palmed his face, wondering why she still had that kind of effect on him after he told himself that he already settled all those matters of his failed attempts at happiness with Vega when she gave him what he believed to be a final answer at the Le Mertuire.

“I…” He started. “I saw Aeoren at the Press Conference I was at earlier.”

A loud raucous echoed from the other line, causing Tom to wrinkle his brow as he pursed his lips and crossed his arms, still holding on to the phone. “Seriously, Thomas?” Fred said when he tried to catch his breath. “ _Seriously?!_ No wonder you fucked the nearest blonde to your hip –“

“She was a redhead,” Tom corrected him crossly.

“Whatever,” Fred shot back as his laughter continued, causing his friend to sneer over the phone as he switched it back from loudspeaker to receiver.

“Lay off the whiskey, Fredrick,” Tom barked, looking very cross. “Good afternoon.” And with that, in his friend’s mid-guffaw, he turned off the call, flinging the phone to the side, grunting in absolute irritation.

Sooner or later, Tom was back in his flat.

He stomped around, thinking about what Fred has just told him, still bothered by the fact that his best friend could see through him… How a glimpse of that girl whom he considered the apple of his eyes once upon a time could cause him to go on a distraction parade of getting into bed with the nearest hot gal who laid her eyes on him… He gritted his teeth while thinking about it. _I’m a grown man_ , he told himself as he got his kettle, thinking about making tea. _I think I am entitled to love, entertain, and even fuck whoever I hell bloody want –_

He turned the tap but no water came out.

Flinging the kettle aside, trying to control his temper, Tom burst out of the door and made his way towards the elevator, pressing the buttons repeatedly as he tried to calm himself down instead of storming the Assistance Office at the 2nd floor of his apartment.

By the time he got there, he realized that the landowner must have gone out, so he ended up ruffling his hair as he lingered over the mailbox set over the side, realizing that he must have some bills, letters, notifications, or even fanmail left unanswered.

But when he opened it, he realized he only had one letter – an invitation to a well known photographer’s exhibit, on the 29th of that month. Turning it over, he just shrugged to himself, realizing that most of his friends in the industry would be there, it was only fair if he’d go to.

Dialing Luke’s number, he quickly said once his publicist answered, “You remember Paule dela Merci, right? She sent me an invitation to her event. Yeah, yeah. Save that date for me.”

 

***

 

“Please?”

 

Gale smiled over his Mediterranean dinner as his fiancée who was sipping her Greek Yogurt drink sat across him with her legs crossed, still waiting for her hummus and her dinner, made those big puppy dog eyes as she tried to get his attention.

“Must you beg, hun?” He asked, forking his greens around, looking up to see Vega wrinkle her nose as she spun one of her unused spoons around the table.

“But,” Vega murmured around her straw. “This would be like the first wedding we’d attend as a couple…”

“Haven’t we attended one with the relos?” Gale asked skeptically as he tilted his head.

“The one with your mum, dad, and older brother?” Vega asked. “Isn’t that your cousin’s christening we attended? That wasn’t a wedding…”

Gale blinked and ran a hand through his brown hair. “Yeah you’re right.” He suddenly looked up to see his companion’s order of grilled keema along with a side of pita, fried tomatoes and onions arrive on a platter.

As Vega looked at her dinner, she gingerly looked up at her fiancé again and said, “Come on Galey, this is a good old friend’s wedding. I’d love it if you would be there…” She sighed. “It would mean so much to me if you would meet my friends…”

Gale placed down his fork and sighed, as he leaned back on his chair. His woman on the other hand, ended up pulling her yogurt drink towards her, to sip the straw again. “Sweetie,” he started sadly. “You know I need to be back in Victoria by the end of this month to deliver that presentation to the client. And your friend Mari is getting married on –“

“The 15th of next month,” Vega sighed dismally. “I really wished I could go with you…”

He placed his fork down, made a small smile as he held out his hand to hold hers. Vega had a few spoonfuls of meat in her mouth when she noticed him reaching out across the table. It was a wonderful candlelit dinner in one of the snazziest Mediterranean restaurants in town, and she felt so sad just talking about the wedding he was about to miss. When so many things could happen if he was there with her…

“Imagine all the cake we can have…” she said dreamily. “And then we’d dance all night, then I’d catch the bouquet and you’d catch the garter…”

Gale smiled as he ate, listening to her musings about traditions, , love, and weddings. Vega continued on, talking about the night that will never be… at least the night she wanted it to be. She was caught up in this want and this dream, as well as that need to spend the rest of her remaining time in magical London with her prized fiancé…

“Oh sweetie,” she sighed. “I just wanted you to meet my friends…”

Pausing in the middle of chewing, Gale placed down his fork and took a sip of his own drink. “Here’s a deal then, sweetie,” he started. “What about inviting your friends of yours to our wedding?”

Vega paused in the middle of her ministrations and widened her eyes at her boyfriend. “You are pretty serious about that London Wedding, huh?” she said teasingly, trying to hide the excitement in her voice.

To her joy, he nodded. “As long as my baby wants it,” he answered.

She looks down, slightly blushing, as she found him running his thumb over the black opal of her ring, as he held her hand tightly. “It’s everything I ever wanted…” she said breathlessly.

“And it’s what you will get,” he said winking, as he ate another piece of his grilled tomatoes.

Dreamily looking up in the middle of eating her dinner, Vega started to think about the things she would want for her own wedding. “Is there anything you want in particular for our Wedding, Gale?”

The man made a face, seemingly thinking about her question, as he leaned back on his chair as he played with his spoon. “Doves,” he said kiddingly. “I’m pretty sure I want those. And grains of rice thrown upon us when we walk out – come on, Vey. You’re the artist between the two of us. I’d think you’d make a better decision when it comes to this.”

With that, the girl just silently nodded as she smiled, returning to her meal. That’s when she found him tightening his grip around her hand in a fond and adoring manner.

“Just… do what makes you happy, okay Vega?” he asked, those green eyes glistening. “Whatever you want, I want. I only want you to be happy on our wedding day. That’s all there is to it.”

Finally finding bliss and comfort in his words, the girl nodded as she returned to her meal, her head slightly spinning with all the things she would have to do to be prepared for that wedding she was promised in a year or less.

 

***

 

“That’s a fine mighty meal, isn’t it dear?” Gale said to his date, as he looked at her small figure, in that pretty white dress and same black cardigan she was wearing to the Ritz Press Conference earlier that day as they stepped out of the Cilcia Café, arms linked together.

“They’ve got the best Yogurt Milkshake I’ve ever had in three years –“ she started, when suddenly they almost crashed into another couple that caused the brunette girl in front of them to gasp.

“Vega?!” Mari exclaimed as the girl in question stopped in her tracks as she brought a hand up her mouth.

“Mari!” she almost screamed as both girls tore themselves from their respective dates as they hugged each other. For some reason, Pete and Gale nodded at each other courteously as both girls covered each other in a long embrace, exchanging squeals along the way.

Disengaging from the hug, Mari deliciously eyed Vega’s companion from head to toe before saying, “My, my, my Vega, you’ve got to introduce to us who this wonderful gentleman is…”

Returning to his side, linking her arm with his, Vega bit her lip as she looked up at her fiance’s face with much pride and said, “Mari… this is Gale, my fiancé.”

He laughs and extends a hand to kiss Mari’s and says, “It’s only Vega who calls me Gale, really.” He turns to Pete and warmly exchanges handshakes with him too, as the girl on his arm blushes even further, causing Mari to watch with much glee.

“Sebastian Gale Hareton,” he explained. “That’s what I’m actually called.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely do not recommend you to go back to “A Blind Conversation” to search the name “Hareton”. But probably by now, that name sounds awfully familiar. The reveal is a bit early for me though, but it will matter soon when the **right** person finds out.


	7. Received Calls Log #001

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vega decides to call Max up in the middle of the night after her wonderful evening. (Warning: Sorta-SMUT ICEBERG, RIGHT AHEAD!)

She looked at the clock and saw that it was almost 12 midnight.

Her eyes lingered over the digital display before letting her gaze shift towards the body sleeping soundly right beside her… She blinked slowly, watching his taut exposed chest heave up and down, shallowly breathing as he slept, his face gently turned towards her direction as he slumbered peacefully, not even a trace of an unpleasant dream on his face.

Vega sighed as she drew her exposed legs up to her chest, still wearing that dress shirt Gale had donned earlier that evening. She looked around the hotel room to find his well-suited gray blazer  and slacks set hastily draped over the chair in front of the dresser, while her white dress was lying on the edge of the bed, slightly creased and turned inside out… considering how it was slipped over her shoulders…

She made a small giggle, remembering what transpired earlier…

If there was one thing worth it, Gale was so skilled with his tongue. Vega was honest that this was the first time she received head from a man. Her previous boyfriend before him tried to convince her to at least have an experience of someone going down on her, but College-years-Vega was just too scared and squeamish for someone parting her folds and “having a go at it”. Considering the years she has spent on and off with Gale… she could at least give the man she was going to marry something of hers that he can pleasure, even if she is still somewhat saving herself for the wedding night.

Yes, she was abstaining. For goodness sakes, she probably had one College fling in her birth home before she transferred to Melbourne, probably two flings with one of those being in a span of two years with Gale. But sex? Squeamish Vega indeed. If she was squeamish enough to get into a relationship with her online bestfriend, _what about sex_? And this was the man she was going to marry.

Somehow, Gale wasn’t so pleased that this was one of the very few nights they would be together in London, considering that Vega was starting to become busy with work too… and she still wouldn’t cave in to the way he seduced her…

The way he pinned her down the sheets…

The way he suckled on her breasts…

The way he parted her legs and kissed her inner thighs…

The way he licked at her sensitive flesh…

She almost stopped him from dipping a finger or two within her quivering folds, and this truly frustrated the man. He did give her the space she needed though… right after he made her squeal when he ran his tongue and his lips in between her legs, repeatedly licking at her precious nub of nerves…

Vega closed her eyes and bit her lower lip just thinking about it.

She did come undone with her dress crumpled into a heap, wrapped around her torso, as she found her breasts exposed, one thigh pinned by her fiancé’s hand on the duvet, and the other leg draped over his shoulder, as he looked at her with that predatory expression, two fingers hilted within her, as his lips were still dripping with her moist juices.

If she didn’t reason out or acted out upon it quick, he may have succeeded on taking her completely that night. But Vega did that one thing she never knew she would master over the past year where she found herself reunited and eventually engaged with Gale…

The woman found herself smirking when she realized that she just might have considered it in her head that she may have mastered the art of blow jobs. _That is just preposterous_ , she thought naughtily to herself as she smiled, burying her head in her arms, as she propped them over her legs, listening to her lover snore. _All I know is that I know how to please my man…_

She remembered him with his back arched on the bed, as she had herself positioned in between his parted legs, having removed her precious white dress in hopes of not staining it in the process…

She says that may not be as skilled as Gale with her tongue, but that’s what she believes in. But you should have seen the way his eyes lolled back behind his lids as he opened his mouth when she smeared her lips over the tip of his shaft, running her pink tongue along that vein that was lined under it… With the way he gripped the sheets, with the way he threw his head back when she swallowed the tip of his cock, and the way she swirled her tongue around the head…

Her lover may tell you a different thing.

Once he was spent (and he did it all over her bare chest too), he pulled her up from the edge of the bed, kissed her, kissed her so hard… before he collapsed in a heap on top of the duvet, completely letting go of his need to getting even more physically intimate with her as he originally wanted. “As you wish,” he’d say before going into a daze initiated by his sexual fulfillment… Allowing her to save herself further for that night they were both looking forward to.

After cleaning up and getting dressed, Gale has fallen asleep (considering that he does have a meeting to attend to the next morning), while Vega wantonly re-enacted their activities earlier in her head, as she sat beside her lover, only covered in the sheets that reeked with his musk.

Tempted to push back that straight brown hair that fell across his forehead as he slept, Vega suddenly found herself stopping… when she remembered that she somewhat has done this act before, but to another man. It wasn’t exactly the same situation, it wasn’t even a romp around the bed, but she does remember that time when she sat at the back of the van and she fell asleep on someone’s chest –

She winced, having to remember that one fling she completely eliminated from her records. She hasn’t completely told Gale of what happened before they somewhat got back together, but he does know about her friendship with Tom. (Although it’s not clear to Gale who Thain or Tom really is… just yet.) All Gale knows was that Vega was recovering from a panic attack from a so-called previous fling, along with a big pound cake of guilt she was trying to cover up… And that was that.

Running a hand through her hair as she sat back on the pillows, Vega thought about the fact that she’d be seeing Tom around a lot than before since they’re both in attendance of Mari’s wedding, and it was a clear known truth that the air between the two of them still somewhat remained… icy. _Judging by his face when he saw me approach him yesterday at the Press Con_ , she thought as she blew a stray fringe that fell on her forehead. _Oh I just don’t know how to face him…_

_But I hate this silence_ … Vega thought. _And I hate this foreboding feeling that I wronged my best friend…_

Getting off the bed as she slipped a pair of clean knickers on, Vega picked up her smart phone over the dresser as she made her way towards the small veranda on the side of their hotel room, pushing aside the small sliding door as silently as she could.

_I do miss my best friend…_

 

***

 

“Hello? Maxikins?”

A sleepy voice answered from the other line, sounding a little bit cross. “Vega? You dolt, its half past midnight,” Max growled, causing Vega to smile at the night wind as she sat on a lone chair in front of a small glass table in the outside veranda of the hotel room. “This better be important.”

She giggled as she bit on a nail, having her legs up on her seat, sitting comfortably on the balcony. She does miss Max and the way they bantered… She was guilty that she pretty much lessened the bickering, especially on Twitter where she knows Tom could read it…

“Come on Maximillian,” Vega teased with the old annoying nickname. “Can’t an old friend say hello?”

She heard someone grunting over the phone, as well as the shifting of what seemed to be sheets on mattresses. And that’s when she heard that familiar sarcastic laughter, as well as the trademark sneer of Maxine Gilligan.

“A little birdy told me that they have already met your fiancé,” she said sarcastically, causing Vega to smile as she moved to raise her hand to do that ritual of massaging her head with her thumb and index finger when she’s embarrassed or frustrated. “How could you, Veggiepie?”

“How could I what?”

“How could you let that brunette cheerleader see your man before I could?” Max said mockingly over the phone, feigning envy. “Come on Vey! It’s me! I’m your bestfriend!”

Vega didn’t answer because she was laughing too loud, thankful that she closed the glass door to the balcony, or else Gale would have heard her loud and boisterous snickering. She missed Max, she _missed her_ so bad. She hadn’t had any form of stable camaraderie (except the form of her silly roommates whom she will eventually leave behind, while her newfound team isn’t ripe enough for that kind of closeness) ever since she got to London. She basked in the comfort that her “sisters” are there with her, but since Gale wasn’t ready to meet them yet, she prefers to spend time with her fiancé than hanging around with her girls.

“Come on Max,” she reasoned out, smiling fondly. “You know that the time will come.”

She heard her snickering silently through the lines. “That better be before the wedding, Aeo,” Max answered. “I don’t plan to wait for too long if I’m going to be your maid of honor.”

“I shall consider that proposal, Maxikins,” Vega shot back.

“Am I even offering?” Max barked. “Check your privilege!”

Both girls ended up laughing over the line.

Vega found herself smoothing down her fiancé’s shirt over her body, trying to hide her short legs as she brought them up to her chest, slightly shivering in the cold night air, wishing she took one of the sheets with her.

‘So, what’s up with you lately Max?” Vega asked over the phone, as she tilted her head while she ran her hands through her legs.

She heard her yawn over her mobile, reminding the woman that it was midnight. “Well,” Max said groggily over the speaker. “You must have heard the news lately right? I am now permanently a London girl,” the little Asian girl found herself giggling. “Just like you! Well not exactly like you with the fab new hubby and the new job … Sissy wants me to help with her bakery business, making me her cheap-ass accountant. However, Sissy is having her third child, and I fear that her flat is too rowdy for a single girl like me to live in. She did offer another place to stay, but its way Downtown and she doesn’t think it’s safe for me.”

Her friend made a face over the phone that Max couldn’t see. “There are nice living spaces all around London,” Vega suggested. “I’ve seen quite a few.” Suddenly a lightbulb seemed to have appeared over the girl’s head. “I know! Why won’t you bunk up with Fred?”

For some reason, the way Max’s voice shrieked through the receiver caused Vega to pull the phone away from her ear.

“ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO YOURSELF VEGA?” Max screamed, making the other girl wonder if her voice could probably wake up the other people in her house, and in turn, be able to wake up the patrons in the hotel’s other rooms. “THAT IS JUST DISGUSTING! WHY WOULD I EVEN CONSIDER BUNKING WITH THAT DISGUSTING, MESSY OAF?! GOOD GOD! HELL NO!”

Blinking twice into the darkness, Vega made a face. “Chill out sis,” she exclaimed. “It was just a suggestion…”

As Max grunted back, mumbling something about Vega being insane of thinking about it, and muttering about Fred being a slob and unbearable to live with… Vega found herself wondering why Max suddenly had that enormous violent reaction with the man whom all of them considered to be her own partner in crime…

“Something up, Maxi?”

There was a sigh heard from the other side of the phone as Max finally stopped her incessant rambling. “Nothing really, Veggie…” Raising her eyebrow and pursing her lips, she ended up chuckling a bit, pushing back that absurd feeling about Max’s untoward retorts about Fred…

“I heard you were transferring to London,” Max suddenly changed the subject.

“Yeah,” Vega confirmed, tracing the big toe on her foot with her thumb, wondering if she’d consider putting on nail polish anytime soon. “Well… You do know that I got this promotion in my company – you know, the one with the Magazines, Celebrities, Event, and stuff – am already working with the team to be honest…” She blabbered on as she talked about her new colleagues, even mentioning a bit about the anal August.

“Wow,” Max whistled over the phone. “He sounds worse than Lis when it comes to planning our European Cruises…” She snorts. “If that idiot causes you problems, maybe you can call me up and I’ll beat him up for you –“

The other girl laughed out loud, only to tone herself down, thinking that someone else in another room out in their balcony might hear her. “Come on Max,” Vega reasons out. “I’m now a Team Lead for Christ’s sake; I can’t have a friend do that. We can however,” she nibbles on a fingernail. “Hang around the café where he dorks around and laugh at him and his dorky friends whenever they speak Klingon on a two-hour basis.”

Max laughed boisterously, only to shush herself when a voice of a child from her side of the line was heard. “Sorry,” she whined as Vega heard a door close from Max’s side of the phone call. “Sleeping with my niece, this is a reason why I need my own place –“

Vega sighed. “You know Maxi,” she said sadly as she tilted her head, trapping the mobile phone between her cheek and her left shoulder as she played with her hair. “We better meet up soon and maybe we can find ways to deal with this… living conditions of ours.”

Max chuckled. “Maybe you and your _gorgeous_ fiancé could spare a room for an old friend of yours? Like me?” Vega actually chuckled out loud as she could imagine Max’s infectious grin from across the phone lines.

“Oh Max,” she sighed. “Sadly, my man hasn’t found anything suitable for me to live in here in Jolly Old London. In fact he isn’t even keen about it –“ she clucked her tongue. “…since he’s going back to Melbourne in a week or two to pursue that Merger deal with his firm and Hugo-Harttinson Enterprises.”

“That’s… disappointing,” Max commented.

The two girls sighed and stayed silent over the phone for a few seconds.

“Well,” Vega spoke, trying to lighten up the situation that she slightly dampened. “I get to keep Gale’s Hotel room for a week or two, you can bunk with me for a while!” She suggested, her voice cheery… and slightly desperate.

You can hear that naughty snickering from Max’s end of the phone again. “Gale huh,” she said thoughtfully, causing Vega to cross her arms and pout.

“Oh what to do about these two posh and proper new London Girls…” Max said, imitating the best classy English accent she could muster, something she probably picked up from Fred. “But ‘ _Ei they’re broke and trampy without a place to pop in ‘er!_ ’” Her sudden attempt to switch to Cockney caused Vega to snigger as both girls ended up boisterously laughing over the phone. Once she has caught her breath, Vega was thankful that nobody seemed to have heard her snort that disgustingly in the balcony.

“God I missed laughing like that,” Max exclaimed.

“So do I,” Vega said, silently smiling in her part of town.

“Well,” Max said, starting to sound cocky again. “This is your own fault for shutting yourself out from us, your family! Especially –“ She suddenly heard Max chuckling to herself, causing the contented smile from Vega’s face to disappear as she straightened her head, waiting for her friend to continue speaking.

“Especially _what_?”

By the time Max caught her breath, she seemed to have forgotten about the topic. “Anyway, speaking about _things_ ,” she continued. “I completely forgot about _someone else_ who is a native Londoner…”

You would have sworn that Vega’s face changed from something calm to something deathly uncomfortable in a second.

“I bet Tom has a nice posh flat here in London,” Max said as she thought about things out loud, causing Vega to make a face. “And I bet you can tell, _since you’ve been there before_. Do you think he can accommodate another person?”

“I don’t know,” Vega answered flatly… yet truthfully.

It is true that she has been to Tom’s flat. Twice. _No_ , Vega thought, her forehead wrinkling as she uncomfortably went back to her memory bank of last year’s events. _I’ve been to Tom’s flat thrice_. _No! More than thrice! Probably five times!_  She bit her lip just thinking about those instances. The first time was a disaster, the second time had a sweet and tender moment she didn’t want to think about, the third time had Star Wars and Snogging written all over it, and then there was that other time at the rooftop that made her sick to her stomach whenever it touched upon her memory… and then there was the last time. The last time made her want to hurl.

“I seriously don’t know,” she repeated her answer, frowning, decided to cut her memories on that.

“Well,” Max spoke, sounding a bit naughty. “It’s just reasonable… Don’t you think it’s just a good idea to bunk up with Thain?” She swears she can smell and feel the mischief etched on her girlfriend’s face as she said that, causing Vega to sigh and cover her face with her palm.

“I seriously don’t know Max,” She answered automatically. “You know that Gale wouldn’t be pleased about me sharing a living space with another –“

That’s when Vega almost jumped out of her seat when Max made a loud _pffffft_ echo from her phone.

“Please, Vega!” she shot back, half laughing. “I was talking about _me_ bunking with Tom, _not you_.”

The girl found herself blinking. “Oh.”

She then just couldn’t describe her face at all as Max found herself unable to stop her laughter, as Vega found herself unusually sitting in an uncomfortable position in the chair found in her boyfriend’s Hotel Room veranda.

“Okay Max,” Vega finally spoke up amidst the raucous laughter over the cracking phone speakers. “That’s enough for tonight – you seriously sound high. You need to sleep. You need to _go back to sleep_.”

Getting a hold of herself, Max could only mutter in between giggles, “Night Vey!”

“Night Maxi,” Vega said in the most friendly and cheerful way possible, before dropping the call.

Suddenly overcome by silence, the woman who was in her boyfriend’s long white dress shirt sat in the outside veranda, looking quite discombobulated as she assessed the discussion she just had with Max, slightly embarrassed by her statement about her so-called _ex-_ best friend and living with him in his flat…

_Why am I even embarrassed,_ Vega thought angrily as she stood up from her seat, ruffling her hair with her free hand. _I need somewhere to stay as well, but I’d never consider bunking up with--_  She realized that she couldn’t even say his name in her mind. _–with Thain! That’s just awkward! And weird! And so uncomfortable!_

Despite the million reasons in her head, Vega just sighed and told herself to hope for the best. Things are very different now, and holding on to past discomforts and possibly even grudges isn’t healthy for a woman like her who has decided to move on.

She was about to slip back into bed with Gale, when she realized that she had an unread message on her mobile phone. Sitting up and taking a gander at it, Vega somewhat felt relieved that it wasn’t Max and another of her so-called innocuous comments –

_Hello Miss Vey! Topher here! I wanted to let you know that I won a ticket to a dinner event in the Way Raffle yesterday! Yay! I was planning to take Carrie, but you know… Eh, it’s a bit too weird. I was wondering if I could invite you instead. You know, if it’s okay. – TN_

 

Vega smiled.

She knew Toph even before she got her permanent position in Way London. In fact, Toph was trained by one of the Graphics Team members whom she worked with for her first Presentation as a Junior Promotional Officer in training to make that Nexus Convention report back when she had that short stint training a year ago.

_He’s a good kid_ , Vega thought, smiling as she texted the boy back with a “ _Sure sweetie! I don’t mind accompanying you. Where will it be and when?_ ” before actually contemplating sleep. _He just seriously needs to find a way to deal with that little crush he has on Carrie._

_Crushes won’t do you any good,_ was the last missive in her head.


	8. Raccommodement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Raccommodement" is the name of Paule dela Merci's art exhibition, where Tom is invited to the opening night, along with other well-known names he's very familiar with. However, he discovers something else in the event that sends him into a state that he has never felt in a very long time.

_Heeeeey there, sex symbol._

He felt like sighing as he whispered that voice in his head after grooming himself, trimming his beard a bit, and gelling back that long curly ginger hair he plans to have shortened in a week or so, just in time for a wedding. He decided to stay in the nearest reasonably priced hotel for a few days while the landowners assessed his damp and dripping flat, and so far… it’s been three days and he seriously needed to get a backup soon.

Holding a black and a red tie up to his neck, Tom found himself looking his reflection in the eye, wondering why there was something off that moment when he was prepping himself for a wonderful evening – _I wonder if I’d drop the blazer and just go with the waistcoat instead_ , he thought as he raised an eyebrow and tried his outfit on with his sleeves folded. _Maybe I scrap the waistcoat and just don the good old leather jacket? I miss that…_

He was able to haul out most of his clothing and other important possessions, Fred being generous enough to become his temporary storage for the meantime. Considering the posh little party he’s going to, he took the time to store in his hotel closet several of his favorite suits… without minding if he interchanged between his favorite red plaid and threadbare shirt for casual wear once in a while. _Ain’t going out in public anyway, Tom_ , he told himself. _No one to see you…_

In the middle of wondering if he could call Fred, Luke, or another eye to give him advice… his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of his answering machine beeping.

_Hello hello! Tom here!_

He momentarily looked out of his bathroom as the pre-recorded message he made about a year ago or so suddenly started playing from his answering machine temporarily installed in that hotel room, where he had his home line rerouted. Having heard it a million times, he shrugged and waited for it to finish, wondering who was calling him up. However, he was too busy trying to figure out which tie he wanted to use, so he threw the red one back onto his slightly unmade bed as he started to affix the black tie around his neck.

_Can’t really come to the phone right now, since I am either running, cooking, entertaining guests, out on my roof deck reading, or doing you know… ehehehe… other stuff. But of course, I may also not be here. So why don’t you be a darling and leave me a message instead? Be nice! Beep!_

Chin up high as he drew the tie into a knot, he suddenly felt his neck heat up when he recognized the female voice who spoke next –

 ** _Hello Tommy love,_** a soft sigh followed it. **_I just wanted to say hello…_** _since I wasn’t able to thank you after our little night cap._ Tom looked down and bit his lip, unconsciously touching his hip where the said pretty redhead left a little bitemark. It was still a bit swollen you know…

 ** _I just called to thank you for that awesome night_ … **she softly moaned into the speaker. He felt himself loosening his collar a bit, getting a bit riled on by the woman’s crooning. And to think that she was on the phone... Tempted to answer it, he had to hold himself back since he was a bit jam packed that night… _But I guess it wouldn’t hurt if I do answer for her booty call after—_ he thought.

 ** _They were all right,_** she said, that soft smacking sound obviously drawing that image of her licking her red lips in his mind. **_You are awesome, Tom. Much more awesome than what I expected. Hope we can do that little ‘horizontal tango’ – as you would call it – again sometime? Call me? Your Little Sara…_**

_Beep!_

He looked in the mirror and grinned devilishly.

“Hey sex symbol indeed,” he said to himself as he pulled his leather jacket off the hanger and prepared to leave.

 

***

 

Paulette dela Merci, or simply known as Paule, is a well-known artist back in Paris, whose works in publicity, modeling, and cinematography are highly esteemed by her peers. She has worked with various known names such as Guillermo del Toro, Spike Lee, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Sofia Copolla, Audrey Tautou, Tilda Swinton, Wes Anderson, Anjelica Houston, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bahz Luhrmann to name a few. If that’s even a few…

Her work is groundbreaking and award winning, she is often sought by fashion magazines, publications, promotions and filmmakers for her contribution. Her photoshoots are often stunning on their own and the talk of the town. She is also known for her beautiful dirty blonde hair, that figure Paris girls would die for, that she would often drape with wonderful bohemian-style dresses… embracing her inner artisan. Nontheless, she is still considered one of the most stylish celebrities in her district.

However, in the middle of a huge “hiatus” after giving birth to her first child, on her “spare time” she decides to do photography and mixed media art printed on large canvasses and hung in exhibits for the world to see. Well, that’s what her gallery exhibit “ _Raccommodement_ ” is all about.

Now at the height of her career, she came across a young thespian who was generally obscure at that time… But his exposure to the film and culture scene had to be expanded and she decided to do a few, what they’d call it – “risqué” – photoshoots with the said young man in goth, chains, a bit of nudity, and a Victorian theme during the time when sea-foam green fashion was still in. Once again her work was hailed, but the model was barely recognized, and somewhat sank back into obscurity for the meantime, with the said photoshoot pretty much covered up and placed in rare limited edition releases. The curious thing was, this young model was recommended to Paule by Joanna Hog who has worked with him before… and Kenneth Branagh at a separate occasion.

You couldn’t describe the look and amazement on Paule’s face when he arrived at her invitation to her first personal solo exhibit without that dratty mop of curls they tried to ease off eight years ago, and sporting a more mature and devilish look that placed him on the map of well-known celebrities, then placing him beside himself when he was what they called “a beanpole” at the age of twenty-four.

“Thomas!” she greeted him with that strong French accent as they exchanged kisses on both cheeks. “You have gone quite far since I last saw you…”

He could only laugh as he looked around, surrounded by familiar faces as he generously kissed the hand of the woman who was one of the people that helped him get where he was now. “I am so pleased to finally see you again Paule,” Tom said gratefully as he looked around the packed gallery, still holding her hand. “In fact, I am honored to be invited.”

“It has always been a pleasure to be working with someone as talented as you,” she said smiling as she took her Irish husband’s arm, the one who was reported to be the head of that large firm merger that was funding the entire project for the love of his wife. “Of course, _our_ good friend Benedict just wouldn’t drop out of his hectic schedule if he found out that you couldn’t come –“

Tom’s eyes widened as he looked around the room. “Oh my,” he said excitedly. “He’s here? Ben’s here?” For a moment, all his problems about his flat, his sexual habits, and his otherworldly friends affected by his personal life disappeared as his face lit up. “That little bugger didn’t tell me at all that he’d be here –“

“As I indicated in my invitation,” Paule winked at the tall young man before allowing herself to be whisked away by her husband and her publicist to cater to other guests. “ _Raccommodement_ is all about meeting old friends.”

Squeezing her hand before looking around to see who else he was missing, Tom found himself saying a few hellos to familiar faces in his life such as the beautiful Carrie Mulligan and her husband, giving what he considered his old flame a kiss on the cheek before moving on to exchanging huge testosterone filled hugs with Eddie Redmayne and Matthew Goode at the end of the room.

“Well if it isn’t Doubting Thomas,” came the familiar voice somewhere near the twisted sculpture of Adam and Eve at the center, causing Tom to whirl his head around and come rushing to his old friend.

“Definitely Doubting because _when I last texted you, you said you would be shooting long hours in Germany_ , you dolt!” Nobody could come in between the way Tom almost literally hurled himself against his long-time actor-friend whom the internet considered to be his sex-symbol equal in the world of screaming fangirls.

“My my,” Benedict Cumberbatch teased, his arms still around the man probably two inches taller than him. “Is it me or you’re getting buff?”

Tom couldn’t stop chuckling now as he whispered close to his friend’s ear, “Please mate, don’t make me grab your cute bum.”

As they pulled each other apart from one another laughing, other people in the party didn’t seem to mind the harmony of their deep octaves harmonizing, considering that they were a pair of two well-cut doves standing in the middle of the room. And nobody really minds two hot Adonises groping and fondling each other in good sport, considering both British men tend to be very fond or amorous of each other.

“Great job on bagging all those awards from that part you stole from me, Thomas.”

“Oh thank you mate,” Tom teased back. “I wouldn’t have made it if you didn’t drop the part.”

“Well I’m not the one who got lucky with the part for Whedon’s _Twelfth Night_ –“

“Speak for yourself! What’s this I hear that George Lucas has been talking to you –“

Ben looked around, and raised a hand holding a small glass, before wagging his finger at Tom. The latter just smiled naughtily, as his other celebrity slung an arm over his shoulder and they moved away from the room full of press correspondents and representatives. Approaching a staircase that overlooked the rest of the gallery and the numerous guests, Ben leaned in to whisper in Tom’s ear, causing the latter to widen his eyes in surprise as he stifled an excited giggle.

“I am never more proud of you brother,” Tom exclaimed gleefully as both friends exchange celebratory hugs again.

“Gentlemen,” someone cleared their throat as a smaller woman appeared in front of them, slightly startling Ben for a moment as he looked at both of his hands holding drinks, as he passed on of them to her. “Your bromance is quite intoxicating, it’s attracting women from afar. Well I am an exception,” she winked, giggling.

“Hello Lou!” Tom exclaimed as he watched the English beauty called Louise Brealey beam brightly at him, sporting that wonderful small braid that curled over her shoulder, the color of her hair accenting her brown eyes. Kissing her on the cheek, the girl graciously thanked her Sherlock co-star (in fact the star of the show) as she drank from her punch, as the two boys resumed bickering.

“I loved the last episode of Sherlock,” Tom said excitedly, his gaze jumping from Louise to Benedict. “But you’ve got to tell me how that twist happened –“

Taking a huge gulp of his own drink, Ben almost choked as he watched Lou giggle. “Come on mate, don’t do this again. This is like Star Trek all over again.” He points towards a familiar looking Scottish bloke chatting with Charlie Hunnam at the other end of the corridor, beside a black and white painting with red splotches over it. “There’s Steven Moffat if you’d like to figure out the ending,” Ben finally sputtered out, as Tom and Louise ended up snickering.

“Don’t –“ Tom said, raising a finger. “Don’t make me go to Moffat again. I might end up asking for a guest spot on his _other_ Sci-Fi show…”

Ben and Lou ended up giggling as Tom stood on the spot, waggling his eyebrows, wishing he had a drink as well so he could probably drown himself to that frustration, instead of watching his thespian friends laugh about. Ever since one of his own friends developed an obsession for the 50-year British Science Fiction Show, Tom’s persistence to get a spot on Doctor Who began to escalate. Not that he did try to get the part several years after David Tennant announced he wanted to leave his epic role… But Tom lost his chance we he decided to pursue Hollywood Projects instead and the coveted role was of course bagged by none other than Matt Smith.

“Don’t worry mate,” Ben said in between sniggers. “I feel your pain.”

“Such a big star and he can’t get a break in Doctor Who,” Louise teased, causing Tom to make a silly face in her direction. “Must you really, Thomas?” Ben asked as a follow-up to Lou’s statement.

“Maybe it’s a life-long dream,” Tom said, shrugging. “Didn’t you even want to be in Doctor Who even once in your career?”

Ben and Louise exchanged meaningful glances, as some sort of nostalgic sheen was seen in the former’s eyes as he took another gulp of his drink. “I would have considered taking that part back in Season 3,” Louise said thoughtfully. “But I would have ended up being that lady alien who had to mack on David Tennant –“

“But you’d make a cute alien,” Ben said, pointing it out, causing Tom to nod his head and smile.

Lou tilted her head and shifted her weight to another foot as she crossed her arms, still holding on to her drink. “Thank you,” she said to Benedict about his compliment.

“Well I on the other hand,” Ben started, tugging on his lapel as he leaned on the wooden surface of the wall, in the space between the one they called the “Ghost” art piece and the religious alteration of the Madonna and child on the other. “Kept on telling the reporters that it’s no big deal, that David and I are friends, that Matt and I are actually close mates… but I tell you,” he said, pursing his lips. “If Holmes wasn’t on the table, I would have been in that bowtie, with that Sonic Screw Driver.”

Tom tried to hide a smile behind a hand as he just raised an eyebrow and noted to himself to ask his buddy on how many glasses of rum has he already taken. But knowing Ben, he completely knows that this good friend of his, a sophisticated actor a few years older than him, can definitely hold his liquor.

“Well if it was me, it wouldn’t have been a bowtie,” Ben said in a confused manner before drinking from his glass again, causing Tom and Louise to exchange smiles in response to what he just said.

“Keep telling yourself that, Ben,” Tom exclaimed, mimicking Lou’s stance of having her arms crossed as he watched his friend wrinkle his nose at him as he swallowed his drink. “But must you still pine after this role? Wouldn’t you want to give it up to me, again?” he said, winking. “After all you did get that role in Star Wa—“

Ben suddenly looked around and quickly shot a loud “Shhhhhh!” in Tom’s direction, as the latter’s eyes widened as he covered his mouth and turned to Lou whose eyes are wide as saucers. “What?! WHAT?!” Lou exclaimed, suddenly confused and lost in a moment as Ben comically looked around, shook his head, jumped once in his place and pointed at two men and a woman who were just across them… who happened to be part of the GQ Magazine representatives. Next thing Tom knew, Ben was harrying him and Lou down the stairs and in the densely populated Gallery lobby, as the three exchanged quiet yet hyped up laughter when they got to the bottom of the stairs.

Nudging him on the shoulder, Ben hissed at Tom, “That was _sooo_ close!”

Tom was beside himself laughing… when he suddenly had to slowly come to a halt when heard something familiar that was mingling with the way he, Ben, and Lou laughed.

As he looked forward in the crowded gallery, he searched for that very familiar sound of laughter that was almost lost and drowned out in the chatter and murmurs in the area. He heard it again as he felt Ben hold on to his shoulder, trying to catch his breath, as Lou said something to him, somewhat berating him for suddenly pulling her and Tom down the stairs… as the latter squinted his eyes and looked frantically around the room, looking for that familiar sound of laughter, as all conversations were drowned out in his head…

That’s when he saw where that sound was coming from, causing his blue eyes to widen with an emotion that was akin to both surprise, shock, and terror.

A little bit towards the entrance, standing beside a 7-foot interpretation of the French Revolution, was Stephen Colbert and Guillermo del Toro, talking to the current President of Way Magazine – Marshall Dunford, who was flocked by Maria Johnsson of the Way Board of Trustees (once the Head of Promotions), and two way Representatives: a ginger-haired boy whose clad in a leather jacket and sporting a tie, and clinging to his arm was a small, pretty Asian girl with a bright smile that would often stop _anyone_ in their tracks – or at least just Tom.

He couldn’t make out what Lou or Ben were talking about anymore, as he reached backwards to hold the railing of the staircase they just descended, knowing that his knees would give way  if he didn’t have anything to hold to. But he continued gaping at the girl, with her short bob hair-do, beautiful gold earrings dangling from her lobes, those beautiful lips painted red, as she somewhat casually turned up to a fashionable event in a light mustard printed dress and high brown boots that seemingly gave her a hard time standing still, thus clutching her date’s arm so tightly.

 _What is she doing here?_ Tom heard himself ask in his head as he felt his breath hitch. _Why do I keep seeing her everywhere?_

For a moment, he felt like he was about to go dizzy, as he tried not to watch how Vega exchanged words with her former boss Maria Johnsson, before breaking into a smile and laughing with her ginger-haired date. Tom felt as if an acidic bile started to form in his stomach as he started to feel as if he’s shrinking in the corner where he’s trapped in, forgetting that he was actually six feet tall. _Oh my God,_ he felt his heart thumping in his chest as he raised his free hand, realizing that its shaking. _One year of telling myself that this is over, that everything is in its place, that she preferred to stay in Australia and I’d just trudge on with my life and my career…_ he told himself. _And she still has this power over me?!!_

He saw her date smile and whisper down her ear, as he adjusted his glasses, causing the girl whom he waited for almost an eternity in the Melbourne Airport to grin in reply and whisper animatedly back to the boy, earning her a sweet smile as she giddily shrugged at him before they turned to Guillermo del Toro again as the director started to speak. _It can’t be_ , Tom told himself as he powerlessly watched the scene. _Could it be her fian – No._ He bitterly watched his so-called bestfriend’s date from afar, uncomfortably studying the way he moved and spoke to her, unconsciously judging him in his mind… _It couldn’t be…_

Tearing his eyes away from Vega’s direction, he leaned on the banister of the staircase, as he looked down on his shoes and crossed his arms tighter; clutching his elbows in an attempt to subtly hug himself, stop himself from going through a panic attack. _Not here Tom,_ he told himself. _You can do it like you always do it in the comfort of your home, but not here. Not where everyone can see you –_

“You alright there, mate?” He suddenly felt the comfortable touch of Ben’s hand in between his shoulder blades as he looked up to see Lou and his other best mate looking at him worriedly.

“I think,” Tom tried to find his words. “I think l need to get a drink.”

 

***

 

After giving his face a bit of a wash, Tom gripped the edges of the sink as he ended up going to the loo instead of asking for a strong tonic that would have him spewing all the unnecessary information about his career in case he did end up talking to someone from the media.

Looking at himself in the mirror, the reflection he recognized was far from the handsome devil he earlier called as a sex symbol – or at least what everyone thought. He was sweating tons as if he took off on a morning run, making his leather jacket seem uncomfortable on such a chilly evening. He tried to ignore the shock and panic on his face, as he tried to calm himself down after realizing that the girl who never said goodbye is right here, in the gallery, in the same event… making his heart rate go faster… like how she always does.

Honestly, a part of him seemingly leapt for joy; having that need and want to see her again after she turned up unexpected on the interview set for _Twelfth Night_. But it was that feeling of wanting, wanting to see her, or just simply… _wanting her_ , that made him panic. _This is the girl who tried to tell you subtly that she doesn’t want you, Tom_ , he told himself, covering his mouth with a free hand as he straightened up and grabbed a towel to dry his hands. _Vega never wanted you. She never intended to have you. She has chosen someone else, someone else she’s not afraid of, someone she’s not ashamed to be with, someone she loves with all her life that she intends to marry them –_

He shut his eyes, trying to will away that choking feeling that was urging him to tear up.

_And stop being paranoid that she’s here to torment you. We are pretty sure that she isn’t doing it on purpose…_

He suddenly had to shake his head and compose himself when someone backed away after doing their business in the urinals, to wash their hands on the sink beside his. Grabbing another paper towel to dry his hands after throwing the first one he used to dry his face, he was about to leave, when the young man beside him suddenly did a double take, as he leaned in, trying to get his attention.

“Sir, I’m sorry to bother you but--” he spoke in that strong Northern accent, causing Tom to slowly turn to him as he trashed the last paper towel he snatched from the dispenser. “C-Could you be Tom Hiddleston?”

He nodded and smiled, suddenly recognizing the freckles and the ginger hair on the smaller and younger man… identifying him to be the other Way Magazine representative who happens to be his so-called bestfriend’s “date”.

“Yes,” he spoke slowly, trying his best to muster a smile as he eyed the younger man’s leather jacket, the brown plaid shirt within it, accented by a dark blue tie. Some sort of comfort seemed to have washed over Tom as he realized that this man was probably ten years younger than him, making him two or three years younger than Vega. “Indeed I am,” he smiled, as he held out a hand.

The kid was about to attempt a handshake, when he realized that his hands were wet. Quickly turning off the faucet and grabbing a paper towel, he then shook Tom’s hand graciously as he continued yammering about how he’s a big fan of his work. “I was there when my sister and I watched your performance in Coriolanus, sir,” he spoke, twice hyper than he was when he was his age. “And of course, I am a big fan of how you portrayed Loki. Who doesn’t love Loki anyway?” He nervously joked.

“Well honestly,” Tom spoke, looking up as he thought about something witty to say. “His brother. But of course, we all know that Thor only hates him when he’s being too mischievous that it destroys New York.” The boy laughed at the joke, causing Tom to smile, finding a bit of comfort in the situation as well, earning him the confidence he needed to stop moping in the loo and get out to face the world he somewhat fears.

“You’re from Way Magazine, are you not?” Tom inquired, eyeing the boy inquisitively.

“Yes, yes!” He answered, finally letting go of shaking his hand. “My name is Christopher Noble, sir… But just call me Topher. I am also actually quite a fan of Paule dela Merci’s work. I have seen her early work and collaboration with you, sir. It is really tremendous to be honest.”

“Please,” the older gentleman raised his hands humbly, trying to diffuse the way Topher praised him. “It was a rare print, not even my publicist can have the old copies released. We have decided to leave it to Paule’s personal collection and portfolio. If the media would see it, it’s only for their eyes.” He subtly hinted, winking at the young man to keep the secret. “And I beg of you, call me Tom.”

Topher fidgeted nervously as he laughed in reply, still drying his hands for the past few minutes of talking to one of his favorite thespians. Tom on the other hand tapped the boy on the shoulder as other visitors and guests came in to use the loo, subtly hinting the boy to take the conversation outside.

 _Topher eh?_ He thought to himself as he walked side by side with the boy as they exited the loo. _As long as his second name isn’t Gale._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Raccommodement" means Reconciliation in French. Oooooh. Chapter 8 and Chapter 9 are supposed to be just one chapter, but I find them already too long for my liking. Hopefully, Chapter 9 will be up soon.


	9. The Girl Who Painted The Town Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vega tries to enjoy admiring one of Paule dela Merci's works... but ends up being derailed when someone joins her in critiquing the painting.

It was actually the first time Vega heard of Paule dela Merci.

To be honest, she was just about getting herself familiarized with art, culture, and entertainment in UK and the US, after having spent her entire life in the Pacific Ocean – yes Australia included. With the ever changing cultures she’s subjected to, it was only recently that she started to look up culture and the noted personalities in Europe. And only having been to London twice, it was just about time that she exposed herself to the news that has to do with its neighboring cities and countries…like France for instance.

But her art… Being an artist herself, Vega would say that Paule’s style was pretty much something she was interested in.

 _There was something in the way she mixed digital media and art_ , Vega thought as she entered another part of the gallery that wasn’t frequented by the guests. Passing by a few photographs that had splotches of paint and intricate patterns printed by them by hand, she remembered an old dear friend back in College who experimented with rubber latex and blurred digital photographs that were printed on canvas. As if that moment, she was transported in a moment in time, where she was back in Fine Arts, wide-eyed and passionate, surrounded with people who are pretty much just like her, nationality, interests, style, and all.

And honestly, she was glad that Toph invited her. Among her new teammates, it was actually Toph whom she got along pretty well with, considering his background, his career, and his interests. Sasha was the typical promotional officer stereotype that Vega has been with: chatty, intelligent, up-to-date, flirty, and very sociable. Despite being a Promotional Officer herself at one point, we all know that “gossipy” and “chatty” is something far from her actual personality. We all know she has a rift with August, and Carrie – despite the way she admires and is fond of Vega, she is quite immature and immersed in getting things right and obsessing over perfection, not to mention the anxiety attacks that were worse than what Vega experienced back when she was still a Promotional Officer.

And being around the funny, jovial, and down-to-earth Toph made Vega feel comfortable despite being surrounded by well-known personalities and big names. She has probably seen several directors she admired, and some French directors whose films she had drooled on, such as Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Almost having bumped into Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, John Barrowman, Steven Moffat, Richard Ayoade, and even Javier Bardem… she was proud of not going through a fangirl heart attack as she would have probably did a few years ago. But she was somewhat getting used to this, telling herself that celebrities are known for what they do, and they are people too… she just knew she could hold a smile and brush the nervousness away no matter who she would meet…

Taking her time as she circled the room, silently ignoring the very few people mingling with each other near the artworks, talking and conversing, whose faces are so familiar, Vega just decided to take this quiet time to herself as she let the overexcited Toph to compose himself in the loo, she approached a large artwork positioned in the middle of the room, surrounded by wall-mounted lights, encased in a modern-style glass frame.

Crossing her arms, happy that she was able to get rid of her cocktail the minute a roving waiter passed by, she shifted her weight to another foot as she tilted her head to admire one of Paule’s masterpieces.

It was a black and white piece, just like the other ones on display, a blown-up photograph of a woman wearing a white ensemble of leggings, Mary Janes with heels higher than what Vega was currently wearing, a black belt plastered over a big white trenchcoat, as she wore nothing underneath – indicated by the blantantly shown cleavage area peeking through the lapels of the coat. Her outfit is topped off curiously by a wedding veil, perched on her traditionally braided hair (that was presumably blonde due to its shade of gray in the canvas-printed picture).

Just like the rest of Paule’s artworks, it had a touch of traditionally applied art, in the form of smeared oil paint that was integrated with the composition. In the case of the _Corporate-Wedding-Girl_ , as Vega has fondly nicknamed it, red paint has been smeared all over her mouth and the pure white wall behind her. It was dripped as small splotches over her white outfit, making it seem like a murder… till you follow the droplets to her hand that was holding a paintbrush, dripping with the said color.

Parting her lips in awe as a hand travelled up from her chest to her face, she placed a finger to her mouth as she stepped closer to get a better view of how Paule would have been able to apply the paint to the canvas without muddying up the print of the picture. Peering past the reflections and glare of the light that bounced off its glass casing, Vega found herself being submerged in the art as her eyes darted from various points of the picture, from how the red was smeared at the mouth, the details of the red on the rusty broken paintbrush, to the small splotches of red found on the subject’s ethereally white trenchcoat.

 _This woman is A+_ , Vega thought as she raised her eyebrows, perusing the material used and thinking about her techniques. _Martin would have probably pulled this off back home, but with much difficulty. I hear the rubber latex was a paint though… Could this have been rubber latex too?_ Her eyes darted to the indication on the side of the artwork and realized it was oil. Whistling low and quiet enough that only she can hear it, she smiled as she widened her eyes, slightly backing away from the artwork admiring it even more. _Damn_ , she thought. _I miss seeing stuff like these –_

That’s when something felt off.

Vega dropped her hands as her gesture fell from it’s a crossed-arm position, when she felt that someone else was crowding her space from behind her. Tearing her eyes from the subject’s face, she suddenly realized that something dark behind her was reflected in the glass casing, when she clearly was sure she was the only one standing in front of the painting.

Spinning around, she suddenly felt an icy shiver trickle down her spine when she looked up and recognized the tall gentleman who has somewhat joined her in perusing one of Paulette’s many artworks. But what had Vega develop chills on the spot was how he looked down at her with an icy gaze, with a stiff gait having his hands neatly placed behind his back as he stood in his place, unmoving.

“Hi,” her voice sounding more like a squeak as she greeted Tom standing just behind her.

He moved his eyes from the painting as he coldly smiled at her, something Vega wasn’t used to – especially that it’s _Tom_ that we’re talking about. Always positive, always sunny, always happy Tom. _He looks upset_ , she thought nervously as she tore her worried eyes from his face, slightly gulping as she felt the cold air manifest around them, making Vega wonder why did she leave her cardigan back at the hotel.

Trying to find something to say, something in the lines of “Wow, its glad to see you here!” or “It’s a coincidence that we’re both here!”… Vega felt like she was being shut down during the three times she opened her mouth to try to start a conversation, as the mood emanating from her old friend was too cold to even reason with. _What’s up with him?_ Vega thought as she carefully looked at the thespian standing right beside her, the same man she spent most of her days with back when she was in London a year ago, a complete opposite to the hyper and cheery Thain she always knew, as he shifted his weight to another leg as he kept his bearded chin up high as he inquisitively yet seriously surveyed the painting they were standing in front of with those cold, turquoise blue eyes.

 _Jesus fucking Christ_ , Vega nervously exclaimed in her head. _I don’t know what’s going on but he’s doing that Loki thing right now and its motherfucking uncomfortable –_

“Ah,” Tom finally spoke, his tone monotonous. “ _The Girl Who Painted the Town Red._ One of Paule’s best works I believe. Such a curious thing too…”

He walked around the painting, making sure that he passed behind his female friend, making Vega’s hair stand on an end as she felt the hem of his loosely fitted leather jacket innocently brush the back of her dress.

“It is a breathtaking piece,” Tom said thoughtfully, never losing the monotonous way he spoke. “Despite how gruesome it looks.”

Raising an eyebrow as she parted her lips, her mouth forming a retort, Vega tilted her head and glared back at the man. “Gruesome?” even the words tasted bitter in her mouth.

“Clearly,” he spoke, rubbing his beard. “She must have murdered her husband.”

 _Jesus Christ did he just jump back into his Wallander phase and started thinking he’s Magnus Martinsson once more with how he’s deducing everything?I_ Vega thought as she rolled her eyes, wondering what possibly came over Tom and he’s acting like a douche who gave the artwork a label when clearly its interpretative for all. Of course he’s entitled to his own opinion, but it was the bitterness in his statements and the way he said hello that turned Vega slightly antagonistic to him as well.

“Don’t you think”, Vega spoke, somewhat finding her courage to stand up to Tom’s icy demeanor thanks to the way his coldness ticked her of. “It’s just an interpretation of the various roles of women – thus explaining the Wedding Veil – and the red is just the passion they have for life?”

Raising his eyebrows, he says, “Well, that’s a positive way to look at it,” without looking at Vega.

“What’s so wrong about being positive?” the woman suddenly burst, jerking her head in his direction. “Isn’t that your motto?”

“Well it is,” Tom said as-a-matter-of-factly, those blue eyes flicking from the painting towards the girl, suddenly filling her insides with ice cold doubt and that unusual pang of guilt that she didn’t feel for quite a long while now. “But of course, every artwork has a dark side, a hidden secret, an invisible anger that the naked eye won’t see…”

Vega didn’t want to be mean, but she found herself rolling her eyes when he tore his gaze from her and moved from his spot, resuming his place behind her.

“Since when did you become an art critic?”

“Since I took up the Classics.”

It was Vega’s turn to move, slightly moving to an angle where she can see the painting and also watch Tom, since it was making her feel so uncomfortable with the fact that he was standing behind her and glaring fiercely at the back of her head as if he intended to burn two small holes in them. “Probably took up Art History back then, did you not?” Vega almost said it in a raspy whisper, as she looked up carefully at the man who stood a head and a few inches taller than her.

“Took up two different versions of it,” Tom snapped back even before she could speak again.

“So you do understand that every artwork is subjective, despite what anyone else says?” Vega shot back.

Tilting his head as he removed his arms from being crossed over his chest, he ended up pocketing his hands as he furrowed his brows, realizing that the girl has somewhat learned how to fight back. “You are right,” he started, almost hissing as he moved past her and closer to the painting. “Every art is subjective to the audience, but only the artist knows the true meaning.” He turned around, glaring right at her, almost blocking her view of the painting. “Maybe that’s good enough for you.”

The smaller girl found herself crossing her arms in reply. “Perfectly pulled the words out of my mouth,” she almost said through her gritted teeth.

“Must one always pull out the words you want to say,” Tom suddenly hissed back, much to Vega’s surprise as he turned away. “Without having you to say them yourself?”

Taken aback, Vega dropped her arms and let them fall to her sides with a loud _thump_ , causing her to shrug her shoulders in complete discombobulation to why a friend who just shot her a nervous glance a smile at a Press Conference almost a week ago suddenly turn snappy and ice cold to her during the next event where they would meet. This wasn’t the Tom she knew at all, and whether there’s a reason behind it, Vega felt as if she didn’t deserve this kind of hello.

 _Probably got busted by one of his girlfriends again_ , she murmured rudely at the back of her mind as she tried to catch his glance as she could clearly see that he was glaring at another artwork, clearly avoiding her angry eyes. _Why does he have to throw his temper at me then?_

“No really – What’s eating you up, Thain?” she suddenly spurted out, causing Tom to snap out of his delirium upon the mention of the old name. But what Vega didn’t know was that it sparked another angry flare within her old friend, as Tom realized that she must be using his old handle in an attempt to manipulate his disposition, so he would calm down.

“Seems like you’re not happy to see me…” Vega couldn’t hide the bitterness in her voice now, as he turned to her, blue eyes burning with a disdain she couldn’t understand.

Laughing sarcastically, Tom found himself sneering as he composed himself, savoring the way Vega’s lip curled when she watched him run a finger on his lower lip. “Almost a month ago, I ran into a friend who asked me for an autograph at the Olympia Exhibition hall,” he recounted, walking around in place, without going away from Vega’s line of sight. “A few weeks later, I saw the same friend who just suddenly popped up with her interview team during the Press Conference of _Twelfth Night_ at the Ritz…” he said curiously, despite the sarcasm seeping through that sultry voice.

“That’s very peculiar,” Tom said, smiling ironically at how Vega was now glaring at him as if her looks can stab through his skin. “Don’t you think?”

“It was a coincidence,” Vega gritted through her teeth, trying to remain calm when she realized that there are other people in the room, and some of them were starting to look in their direction, only to go away and ignore them when they realize that she and Tom are having a private discussion. Albeit it was a very heated discussion.

Despite her answer, Tom continued speaking as if she didn’t shoot back at all. “And then I get invited to a gallery exhibit by a far away old friend whom I haven’t seen for years,” he continued to tattle on sarcastically, making it look as if the bitterness and cynical demeanor of the God of Mischief had completely possessed him. “Lo and behold!” Tom said in surprise, flinging his arms up. “Guess who I see?”

By the time he turned to Vega, the girl had her arms crossed in complete defiance, those full lips pursed in a thin line, as those chocolate brown eyes were now on fire as if she wanted to burn the 6’2” skyscraper to the ground.

But Tom reveled in the way she silently flared in her corner, as he can feel the anger emanating from her small and silent figure as he licked his lips and circled her like a hawk. _Oh vengeance is sweet_ , he thought as he gazed in those brown eyes that looked so offended. _One year of burning in pain and regret, I finally get to her center with my disdain for things after everything that happened…_

Adding fuel to the fire, Tom spoke and said, “I feel flattered!” He chuckled a bit as he saw Vega roll her eyes. “It feels like I have a stalker –“

“ _I am not stalking you, Tom_ ,” her words were sound and true despite the bitter way she said it. He suddenly blinked, finding her clenching her fists, a whole new fire could be seen in her eyes, as it slightly snapped him out of his deranged accusations.

“Well,” he started, trying to defend himself. “What do you call this –“ he gestured to the two of them standing in front of each other right beside _The Girl Who Painted The Town Red_. “—then?”

Easing the way she balled her hands into fists, she felt her fingers smooth over those half-moon indents left by her nails, still slightly aching with the way she dug them into her palm. Trying not to lose her temper the same way Tom was being haughty around her, Vega closed her eyes and took a deep sigh, completely leaving her actor-friend half-bemused and half-annoyed with how calm she’s trying to keep herself. _After all, he has all the right to be angry after… everything_ , she thought as she opened her eyes, ready to talk to him without losing her mind the way he did.

“I’m not stalking you, Tom,” she said firmly, but calmer than when she first said it. “I was invited by one of my colleagues to accompany him to this event. As Topher’s boss and good friend,” she shrugged. “I just couldn’t say no.”

The truth dawned on the man as he found himself parting his lips, momentarily forgetting the fact that Vega is part of Way Magazine, and that various members of the media just like her were invited to the Gallery Opening. Considering her promotion and her exposure to London-based events, it shouldn’t be really a surprise if she’d turn up at the VIP list of social events such as this. Biting his lip and looking away, Tom found himself feeling humiliated… as he let himself be taken over by his disdain for what happened between the two of them and his emotions once he found himself trapped in a room alone with this girl.

Vega swore she would have almost spurted out the words “It’s not always about you” like how she spat it back at him in Melbourne, but with the way he seems so upset and fuming at the moment, she decided that it wasn’t the best time to reprimand Tom about his perception about things. _Not to mention the distance we have between us…_ She found herself sighing. _Which is partly my fault…_

“Tom…” she sighed, seemingly looking forlorn as she crossed her arms again, looking more disappointed than angry. The man who she was calling out to snapped out of his momentary guilt reflection as he looked at the young woman standing in front of him who seemingly deep in thought… as she slowly startled him with the way she flicked her eyes in his direction, biting her lower lip as she did so.

 “I’m sorry if my presence may have made you feel uncomfortable,” said Vega, trying to hold herself together. “Made you feel so uncomfortable to make you think that I was actually…” she blinked twice, seemingly offended. “ _Stalking_ you…”

“But there is one thing I do want to do,” she started, as she brought down her hands and started twiddling with her fingers. “I have been trying to reach out…” She looked up at him and gestured a hand to him. “…to you.”

For some reason, Vega felt as if Tom looked repulsively at her outstretched hand, before raising an eyebrow to look at her face… as if to study if there was any sincerity to what she was saying. Then not helping to ease the tension… a sarcastic laugh escaped Tom’s lips.

“Reaching out to me?” he asked, pointing at his chest. He shook his head and chuckled to himself again as Vega retracted the hand that was gestured to him, as she crossed her arms bitterly again, sighing dismally to herself, wondering why her ex-bestfriend _had to be so sarcastic_ at that moment. _Pray that he hasn’t had any drinks yet_ , she thought disdainfully.

“You? Trying to reach out to me?” Tom repeated. “One year of no contact and no goodbyes after I left Melbourne, and you’re trying to tell me that you’re trying to _reach out to me_?”

Vega found herself closing her eyes and parting her lips in pain upon the mention of the event that started… and ended it all. _So we finally get there huh_ , she told herself quietly as she kept her eyes closed; not wanting to see the tears welling in Tom’s eyes or how he anxiously paced the area in front of her and the painting like a caged tiger. However, upon realizing that he was about to lose it again, Tom took a deep breath and decided to stand still, causing Vega to finally open her eyes once she heard him sigh his frustration out.

“It was hard you know,” she finally spoke, her eyes completely filled with regret and pain. “But you know what’s harder?”

He had to hold his breath when she placed her hands behind her back and stepped closer to him, causing her to tilt her head up so she can look him in the eye at her angle. Vega had to clutch her hands behind her back to stop herself from clutching his in an attempt to comfort him, telling herself not to cross the line and suddenly create physical contact… that would probably end up making her friend even more jittery than he already is.

“What’s harder is the fact that I miss my best friend,” she said slowly, hoping that every word she said would be absorbed.

 Sighing as he gained control of his tears, Tom found himself smiling, finding comfort at the fact that _she actually misses him_. “You could have at least said goodbye,” were the words that escaped his lips, as a glimmer of fondness appeared in his eyes as he looked away from the girl whom he adored more than what was possible… a long time ago.

Vega shot him a momentarily weary smile as she winced and looked down. “I gave you the best goodbye I could give,” she said painfully. “It was rough and undefined,” she said sighing, “But it was the best I can do…”

Hearing that, Tom found himself sighing once more.

Seeing him calm down, Vega had to fight herself from unclasping her hands and drawing her buddy of ten years into a tight hug. “But you have to understand,” she pleaded with him, looking up at his face from where she stood. “It is my wish to place that past behind us.”

Tom suddenly raised his eyes from looking as his feet to look at her, watching her struggle with the words she just couldn’t say during that one and a half year. “Whatever happened at the airport…” Vega said wincing, gritting her teeth. “Whatever happened between us…” she breathed as she opened her eyes. “Everything… it was my fault. It’s my fault. It’s my fault we have this distance. It’s completely my fault I made the rift. I… I should have said goodbye at least… I--”

She didn’t look up to see his face drop into something more forlorn. _Goodbye?_ Tom thought bitterly. _That’s it? Nothing more? Nothing more about what we talked about? About our agreement at the tower? About our promise…_ He closed his eyes and nodded, agreeing to her statement and subtly telling himself in his head that past is past, and he did somewhat promise her that he wouldn’t force his feelings on her anymore as agreed upon.

“But you can’t blame me for wanting my bestfriend back,” Vega choked out those words, her breath hitching as she raised her hands, gesturing towards him. “At least just my bestfriend back…”

Tom, however, squinted in her direction, trying to absorb what she was trying to say, as Vega frustratingly brought her hands together trying to get out what she wanted to say for the past year where she was nothing but a silent coward –

Taking a deep breath, she wrung her hands again. “I just want my bestfriend – no, my _brother_ back please,” she pleaded, those eyes bravely looking up to stare at Tom’s half-confused, half-emotionally compromised blue ones. “Give me my brother back and you will regain your _sister_ ,” she said, gulping a bit. “Whole, and speaking.”

“No more rifts, no more silence, no more awkwardness,” she added for good measure. “Just me.”

However Vega remains anxious, as Tom looked away, continuing to avoid her gaze as he thought about what she just said. She suddenly found herself turning her ring around her finger again as she licked her lips, waiting for him to say something… somewhat saying in another part of her brain that she lost her chance, she blew it, and she would never have Thain back –

That was when Tom looked back at her and slowly smiled.

That kind of smile that made his eyes glow, that warmed your heart and reminded you how much one was loved… that kind of smile. Secretly, he would never tell Vega that this smile has always been reserved for her, and he never had this kind of glow for quite a long while now.

“I like that proposition,” he said slowly, blinking as he looked back down on his feet, fazed by the relieved smile on the woman’s face. “I like that very much…”

Finally stepping backwards as a relieved sigh escaped her lungs, Vega unclasped both her hands as she closed her eyes in complete relief, a big smile breaking from her lips as she tilted her head down, those bangs bouncing in their place, as she let out a small laugh. Next thing she knew, Tom was chuckling as well, and it was such a comfort to find that it no longer had that tone of bitterness or sarcasm which he had earlier.

“Miss Vega? I was looking all over for –“

Suddenly, Toph barged into this small intimate moment Vega and Tom were sharing ever since that vague discussion on the Le Mertuire bridge several months ago. Distracted in between their shared laughter, the two friends suddenly exchange surprised looks as the taller gentleman turned to look at his female friend, while Vega’s gaze jumped from Tom to Topher.

“Oh my God Miss Vey,” Toph exclaimed, covering his mouth. “You already met Tom Hiddleston –“

Wincing, Vega made a face, causing Tom to silently smile as he looked down. “Well –“

Someone suddenly barged into their conversation as well, interrupting the girl in the mustard printed dress. “Thomas, I’ve been looking everywhere for you –“

Benedict Cumberbatch suddenly found himself backing away from the trio, as this time, Tom found himself making a face having forgotten to tell his friend where he has gone to. “Oh I’m sorry,” Ben suddenly gasped, looking at the flabbergasted Topher… and a wide-eyed Vega who turned into ice once again, finding the Sherlock Holmes standing in front of her. “Must have been interrupting something…”

“Oh m-my God, you’re B-Benedict Cumberbatch…” Toph stuttered as he found himself backing away for a bit.

Turning towards the young ginger-headed boy, the posh gentleman gave him a curt grin and held out his hand. “Well yes, my good man! In the flesh! And you are –“

“This is my friend, Topher Noble,” Tom interrupted as he gestured towards the smaller ginger boy, tapping his shoulder, causing Toph to grin brightly, realizing that Tom Hiddleston just called him as his _friend_. “He is one of the representatives for Way Magazine, under Marshall Dunford.”

“Oh! Good man, that one –“ Ben exclaimed as he warmly shook a star-strucked Toph’s hand. “I’ve always wanted to work with Way again, to be honest. Maybe soon, as my publicist is currently talking to Maria Johnsson…”

“And this,” Tom proudly gestured to the girl frozen in shock beside him as he carefully placed a hand on the small of Vega’s back, gently harrying her towards his other famous friend. “This is Miss Vega, also from Way Magazine… a very old friend of mine.”

Despite the amount of courage and self-confidence Vega had to muster earlier to pull off that reconciliation speech she had on the spot for Thomas, she was suddenly rendered into a stock pile of blubbering ice as she came face to face with the Benedict Cumberbatch, the award-winning, sophisticated London-born actor whose prowess and versatility rivals (or probably even surpasses) the man whom she considered as her bestfriend.

“Uhm…” Vega found herself stuttering as well. “I-I…”

To her surprise, she found Ben smiling warmly as he held out his hand to take hers and plant a kiss on her knuckles. “You must be Vega Guerrero then,” he spoke in that deep octave, causing Tom to slightly smirk but smile afterwards, watching the girl’s eyes widen as she watched one of her idols speak to her. “I am finally glad that I was able to meet you.”

The poor girl couldn’t find her words at all. “You know my – You know my –“ she suddenly found herself turning around, her hand still held by Ben, only to glower at Tom who had a bright grin still plastered on his face, as if he wasn’t hawking around Vega earlier. “ _Why does he know my name?!_ ”

To her surprise, Tom and Ben just exchanged hearty laughs, as she ended up exchanged weird yet overwhelmed glances with her Graphics Director who stood in front of the two celebrities flanking his small yet flabbergasted boss.

 

***

 

“You should have seen Ben dancing like this in Ibiza,” said Tom, as he seemingly mimicked what happened the event in front of his small audience, holding his hands up as he shook his tush around, causing Lou and Toph to laugh to themselves. “He made my South Korean stint look like I was on a mix of Cobra and Tonic, its embarrassing!”

Ben on the other hand was running a hand through his hair, slightly ruffling it, as he turned a bit red watching his good mate attempt to re-do his dance routine at the last party he went to with Tom. Vega on the other hand found herself almost choking on the Baileys cream mix she was drinking, as she swallowed it bitterly, hoping Tom would stop shaking his butt since despite their reformed camaraderie; he was being too comfortable at the scene. Well you couldn’t blame him, he was surrounded with friends after all…

“Come on now, Tom,” Ben chided him, placing a hand on his shoulder before his friend pushed him back playfully, bending over as he laughed. “Stop making me look like a tit.”

Bringing his hands up to his chest and bouncing his head to “Lose Yourself To Dance” playing somewhere in the Gallery as they stood outside in the balcony, Tom started shimmying again, causing Lou and Vega this time to burst out laughing. “This doesn’t look like a tit doesn’t it, Ben?” Tom teased, causing the man in question to playfully punch him in the arm and join him in shaking their hips to the music.

“You should have seen Tom during that one convention in New York,” Lou started as she tried to catch his breath, still overcome by giggles along with her friend. “It was an Afterparty for one of BBC’s events and he was coming from a Marvel promotion stint in his complete Loki outfit,” Ben narrated, recalling the events as if it was yesterday. “Never have I seen a Norse God bump and grind to Daft Punk ever in my life!”

“Oh I wish I had at least your dancing skills, Mr. Hiddleston,” Topher said out loud as he stood beside Vega, the girl hiding a smile behind a hand as she saw Tom straighten up and bashfully run a hand through his hair as he heard himself be addressed in such a formal manner by her Graphics Director.

“Haven’t I told you to call me Tom?” he teased, causing the boy to laugh nervously as he drank from his Metropolitan. “And speaking of events, is this the first exhibit of Paulette’s you’ve seen, Toph?”

“This is actually the first Celebrity event I’ve been to ever since I started in my new Column project in Way!” Toph exclaimed excitedly, causing Vega to widen her eyes and look down at her feet.

It is true after all, since as a Graphics Resource person, Topher has been always in the sidelines, always doing computer work for almost a year ever since he started in Way London. If he would be called for camera duty, it would only be for really rare events, mostly just news and general entertainment events, but never to a flashy Gallery Exhibit held by an A-Lister. You should have seen the excitement on his face when he found out that he was going to be promoted for a Celebrity Column.

“Tut tut,” Ben teased, nudging the boy lightly on the shoulder with his elbow. “Your boss might be working you too hard, chap.”

Finding an opening to tease her, Tom then turned to Vega who was silently swirling her cream-infused tonic in her glass, trying to be obscure in a small group that was mainly composed of celebrities, not to mention that included Benedict Cumberbatch whose voice turned her insides into melted butter (when she’s not thinking about _another actor_ ).

“Isn’t it that you are part of the Way Celebrity Column headed by Miss Vega here?” Tom implied, licking his lips as the girl raised her head and looked at him blankly, subtly sending him a face that read, _What the fuck are you trying to say?_

“Oh no no no,” Toph suddenly exclaimed, turning a bit red, being put on the spot by two of his favorite actors. “Miss Vega is really a generous team leader, to be very honest. She was the only person I could run to when it comes to events like these…”

“You,” Vega suddenly spoke up, pointing a finger at her colleague, a silly smile on her face. “Stop flattering me.”

The group suddenly burst out laughing, as Toph exchanged smiles with the Etonian-educated thespian, and the London Academy alumnus. “Now now,” Tom teased. “Don’t be shy Toph.” He leans in to whisper at the boy, but loud enough for the ladies to hear. “You can always tell Ben and me in private if Vega’s being too hard on you.”

“Oi,” the girl suddenly barked at Tom, causing the man to mischievously raise an eyebrow as his old friend called him out. “Stop bullying my favorite Graphics Designer,” she reprimanded him. “And you better be nice to Topher, Thomas. He’s like my Artist Boyfriend.”

Ben whistled low as Louise and Vega exchanged high fives, watching Tom back away from a really shy and red-cheeked Topher as he shot his female friend a naughty grin. “Really now, Vega? I suppose your fiancé knows about your Artist Boyfriend, if I may ask?”

It was Toph’s turn to whistle low along with Ben as Lou dropped her jaw, causing Vega to raise her hands in complete surrender as Tom echoed with _ehehehes_ as the balcony was filled with the raucous laughter of five adults. “That was below the belt Hiddleston,” Vega said, widening her eyes, amused with how Tom could easily switch from his fiery demeanor earlier to something gentle and mischievous right after. Just because of a statement and a casual proposal. “And for you to have the guts to say that to me – I’ll definitely drink to that,” she exclaimed before downing what’s left of her Bailey’s cream. She didn’t see it, but the man in question found himself looking away as he smiled silently to himself.

“Oh my God she’s getting married?!” Ben suddenly exclaimed, putting a hand on his head.

“Oh my,” Lou suddenly burst, holding Vega’s hand. “Congratulations!”

Feeling shy with all of them suddenly turning their attention to her and giving her well wishes, Vega felt like sinking on the spot as she shook her head, shooting Tom a subtle glare now and then, hoping she could imply how much she wished her friend would have just shut up about the engagement through how she glared at him. “Not very soon, not very soon,” she said repeatedly, implying about the Wedding. But she just couldn’t help but blush when Ben kissed her knuckles once more, wishing her the best.

In the middle of the laughter, suddenly a doorbell ringtone and a noise that resembled a garage door opening repeatedly was heard throughout the balcony, as Tom and Vega simultaneously pulled their phones out of their coats to see their notifications.

“Is that the sound of a TARDIS engine?” Ben said out loud, referring to the sound that was heard from the Asian girl’s phone.

Vega shrugged and grinned at the man. “You caught the Whovian. Guilty!” she exclaimed.

What she didn’t see is how Ben and Louise exchanged glances as both looked at Tom who was busy perusing the messages on his phone. “Hang on,” Tom suddenly said out loud, turning to Vega. “I received a text message from Lila –“

“Yeah me too,” she also exclaimed, her thumb pressing repeatedly on a button. “It’s about the Wedding Shower –“

A bit confused with what’s going on, the three other people in the balcony looked from the taller gentleman standing on one side, to the smallest girl in the group standing on the other. With both of them seemingly reading the same text message, apprehension and concentration reflected on their faces thanks to the phone brightness lighting up their expressions… Ben, Lou and Toph felt as if they were yanked out of their drunken state when the two friends suddenly yelped that one word you wouldn’t expect from the two of them.

“ ** _STRIPPERS?!!_** ” Tom and Vega exclaimed in unison.

You could see the 6’2” actor who was known for his silly antics shaking his head, making a sour face. “Oh no no no…” Tom mused, shaking his head.

“OH YES,” Vega replied in complete amusement, a whole new fire lighting up her face, as she turned to Lou and both girls exchanged silent squeals of excitement as they started chattering like fangirls who seemed to have known each other for a long time, despite the fact they have only met that day.

After recovering from a laughing fit with Ben, Tom found himself watching Vega and Louise chattering in the corner, discussing things that are best done during the Hen & Stag party. A small smile slowly creased out of his lips upon realizing that all seems well in the world and Vega is somewhat on his side again… and this definitely pleased Tom, making his night.

“Well then,” Tom suddenly exclaimed, pocketing his phone as he leaned on the banister beside Ben. “Seems like I’ll be seeing you at the Strip Club anytime soon, sissy,” he said, winking at Vega who looked up at her phone to raise an eyebrow to what he just said.

“Oh I’ll definitely be seeing you there bro,” Vega said mischievously, returning the wink, causing Tom to grin brightly in the process.


	10. The Cooler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lila prepares a Hen's Do (or Bachelorette Party) for her best friend Lila, and this includes a few close friends as well as the entire Mercenary Family. However, one Mercenary Sister is missing before dinner and this makes Tom very jittery.

Planning for someone who comes from a conservative family, Lila almost knocked her brains out in plotting on how to give her best friend the most suitable and enjoyable London-style Hen’s Do she could think of.

With the help of the Mercenary Girls and Marianne’s younger sister Sophia whom Lila met back in High School, the Maid of Honor decided to settle for a wonderful Spanish Dinner one Saturday afternoon a few days before the wedding… and a secret surprise going on after hours.

Having known Mari ever since seventh grade, Lila has been pretty much considered the one person whom she has known almost her whole life… Being there when she talked about kissing her first boyfriend, Mari being the witness of her throwing the corsage at her ex-boyfriend’s face after she found out that he was cheating with her on _another_ guy… They were together when they decided which Universities they would go to, when one of them failed their finals, and eventually what jobs they had to pick once they graduated. Now when it’s Mari’s turn to get married, Lila did what she promised – _she decided to be there for her_. And she did more than that – _she brought the entire family they had online to make sure that they were part of the experience too_.

Now for the guest list, aside from their little Internet family that has been around ever since the early 2000s, it included Sophia, Peter’s younger brother James, Lila and Mari’s other best-friend Elise whom they knew back in College and her boyfriend also named Tom who happened to be working in the same firm as Pete.

There were two newcomers on the table, a blonde girl who looked as if she just stepped into her early twenties; and a sandy-haired boy who sat beside her, sharing the same eyes, cheekbones, lips, and expressions on her face.

“My name is Alexa,” she explained, looking around the table, being egged on by the approving and encouraging looks from Lila and Mari’s faces. “And this is my brother Alex,” she said nervously, tugging at her twin brother’s sleeve beside her.

“Howdy,” he said casually, his eyes going around the group.

“Alexa, Alexa, Alexa…” Tom said thoughtfully as he placed his thumb on his chin, nuzzling his now-shorter beard as he was lost in thought, moving his hands up the back of his head, sporting a shorter clipped hairstyle, making his hair seem more ginger than the dark brown he was seen in Paule’s exhibit. “The name _does_ sound familiar…”

Swatting him on the arm, Lila says to him, “Surely the name _Elfwen_ , sounds familiar to you, Thomas.”

You should have seen the gasps and the widening eyes of the people surrounding the table as the blonde Samantha suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes meeting Alexa who just gently smiled back at her. “Y-You’re Alistair…” Sam gasped.

“Woah,” Fred said, whistling low. “I haven’t heard the name _Alistair Elfwen_ for a long time…”

“Hello Little Missy, how have you been?!” Tom suddenly spurted out as he rose from the table and shook her hand, the girl still staring at him awkwardly, mirroring the same expressions as all the girls had when they first met him at the Milk Bar.

“I-I still can’t believe that Thain is Tom Hiddleston,” she croaked, repeatedly shaking the man’s hand. “I-I mean… _You_!”

“Believe it,” Max said, without looking up from her phone, texting under the table covers. “He took us by storm last year and you should have seen all of us with deer-in-headlights expressions since he waltzed into the bar. No wonder we’ve been used to Loki’s useless bantering on screen – we’ve all heard it all before.”

Tom shot Max a trademarked glare as Fred hid a snicker behind his left hand. “Hey!”

Sam was on the edge of her seat as she smoothed her long blonde hair, as she nervously smiled at the other blonde sitting across her. “Hello Snipelass,” Alexa almost whispered, but it was loud enough for the girl she was addressing to hear. “Long time no hear.” Sam found herself exchanging glances with Lis who just shrugged in her general direction.

Taking a huge gulp of her water, ignoring the small talk that started around them, such as Fred talking with the other Tom, discussing work and affinities, while their Thain was talking with James about the fact that both went to Eton; Sam found herself nervously wiping her hands on the table napkin on her lap, as she looked up to smile at a waiting Alexa.

“I’m really sorry about losing contact with you,” Sam said, wincing as she faced Alexa, looking completely apologetic. “It got really busy in Uni and –“

Alexa looked at her brother, who kept silent in his corner, before looking at Sam. “It’s no big deal really, Samantha,” she said smiling, reaching out of the table to take her hand and grasp it tightly. “Things change and it’s completely understandable.”

Smiling brightly, Sam didn’t say a word but she just got off her chair and went around the long table to give Alexa a hug, as the entire party looked on… with Lis sitting beside the empty seat, smiling proudly as she watched Sam somewhat reconcile with an old friend.

Tom found himself watching this scene, and found himself smiling as well. But he slowly felt his smile melt when he found it too familiar…

“Okay my beautiful people,” Mari exclaimed as she closed the menu. “You better take your orders because you all know that the tab’s on Lila –“

“Yep,” the redhead said, pointing to herself. “The Maid of Honor, yes that’s me.”

As the chatter went around the table as two waiters came to serve them, Max looked up from her phone to see the man sitting just right across the table fidgeting as he scanned through his menu, looking up from it right after, seemingly looking around. “What are you getting,” Fred whispered over to Tom, who scratched the back of his newly-trimmed hair, leaving only the thick beard framing his face. “I got to make space for the wine later –“

“I don’t know Fred,” Tom answered, fidgeting. “I still have no idea –“

“Oi,” Reaching around Fred to swat him on the shoulder, the redhead in charge of the bill glared at the thespian, widening her green eyes at him. “You better order soon, and I don’t care if you’re on a theatrical or Hollywood Diet, Thain. I won’t take that as an excuse.”

Laughing a bit, amused with Lila’s roughhousing, Tom didn’t notice his buddy looking at Max, who subtly looked up, still busy staring at the phone on her lap. “It’s not that I’m on a diet, Li – but don’t you think it’s a bit early to order?”

Taking a bit of the appetizers and popping it in her mouth, Lis shot Tom a puzzled look. “Too early?”

“What do you mean?” Mari asked, after sharing a taste of the wine with her fiancé.

Tom closed his mouth when he slowly noticed how the attention around the table was shifting towards him. Even Fred who looked lazy, slouching in his chair suddenly began to slowly straighten up his posture, only to raise an eyebrow in his direction.

“Well,” he said, trying so hard to stop jerking his leg repeatedly under the table. “Shouldn’t… we… you know,” he spoke slowly, looking towards Fred for approval. “Wait for those who haven’t arrived yet?” He looked at Lila and Mari again who grew quiet, as the redhead looked down and tried so hard not to smile.

As the entire table grew quiet, as a small chatter broke between Sam, Alex, and her brother (as they discussed the sudden silence), Tom’s eyes fell on the empty spot between Max and Lis, as the big obvious smiles on the girl’s faces suddenly made him realize that his intentions were just positively figured out by the group.

Max looked up from her phone, shook her head as she slowly smiled and said, “I don’t think she’s coming, Tom.”

“ _What?!_ ”

The retort came from two people – Tom and Mari, surprising everyone.

“Who’s not coming?” The other Thomas exclaimed as he held Sophie’s hand, exchanging glances with his colleague Pete, who just shrugged back, getting slightly nudged in the ribs by his fiancée.

“But she promised!” Lila exclaimed, clutching her table napkin.

As groans were elicited from the girls, Fred looked over to his friend as he tried not to snicker at how Tom looked like a hybrid between surprised, shock, and crestfallen. And this is from the man who said he was _over_ things, despite the little reconciliation stint he had with the said woman, and he’d rather have a fuck party than worry about her being in the same venue as he was, after Fred laughed relentlessly at how Tom described the panic attack he had at the exhibit. In fact, Tom tried not talking about the panic attack but his buddy squeezed it out of him anyway…

Still clutching hands with Sam who now sat beside her, the girl whispered in her ear, only for her to exclaim, “Vega’s not coming?” She suddenly frowned. “I won’t get to meet Aeo?!”

“Of course you will,” Mari said trying to console Alexa, slightly slapping Lila’s arm. “Did you even invite her?”

“Of course I did! I sent the message to everyone!” Lila said, slightly offended as she grabbed her phone.

As the chatter resumed all over the table, the groans of disappointment settling down, Max suddenly rose from her table, putting her phone to her ear as she answered in a clipped manner, “Hello?!” while walking away towards the exit, abandoning her position across Tom and Fred.

Trailing his eyes after Max’s long scarf and woolen jacket, Fred found himself subtly glancing in Tom’s direction who watched her saunter away from the table in the same manner, that tinge of disappointment sinking in his clear blue eyes as he pursed his lips, slacked his jaw a bit, and picked up the menu, scanning over the horderves.

“Yeah, I’ll have whatever he’s having, and a glass of wine please,” he said nonchalantly to the waiter, indicating whatever Fred may have ordered, as he just gently smiled at Mari who looked relieved that he finally placed an order as she sipped through her iced tea.

Meanwhile, towards the Ladies’ Room, a girl wearing a ridiculously violet scarf over a white wool sweater was violently hissing in her phone.

“WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!” Max hissed on the phone.

“I’m on my way to the airport –“ a familiar female voice echoed from the phone, making Max palm her face. “Didn’t I tell you?!”

“Can’t you come?” Max seems to plead.

There was a silence on the other end of the line as the brown-haired girl leaned back on the wooden wall beside the loo, ignoring the waiters looking at her peculiarly as they worked around the bar that faced the loo.

A soft _tut-tuting_ sound was heard and Vega spoke, “I don’t know if I could, Maxie…” A bit of exasperation could be heard in her voice. “You must miss me so much to be begging me like this,” she teased. “I miss you too girl, but I may have to skip this night.”

Max rolled her eyes.

“Don’t give me that shit, Vega Guererro,” she hissed. “This is your chance, you have been subtly implying for that chance, like _whining about how you messed up in Melbourne_ even if you bloody won’t even tell me what happened –“

“Since when did you start using _bloody_ as an exaggeration,” Vega snapped back sarcastically on the phone. “Don’t tell me you’re taking this London Girl profile too seriously –“

Max gripped the phone and clutched her free fist, growling. “VEGA. FOCUS!” she barked. “I wouldn’t be helping at all if you didn’t say you miss _him_ …” She paused to see if she would hear any violent reactions from the girl on the other side of the line, but all she could was silence, car engines, and the soft pitter patter of rain… somewhere.

Then came that exasperated sigh.

“Max, _that_ has to wait,” the girl replied. “I’m taking Gale to the Heathrow Airport since he’s flying back to Melbourne. His plane leaves in two hours… I can’t do this right now. I probably could, but I don’t know if I’ll make it just in time for your little nightly charades…”

“There’s gotta be something you could do Veggie pie…” Max said, folding her arms. “I was originally planning to skip this little dinner because I’m not sure if they would push through with the Stripper plan later – considering how squeamish the bride-to-be can become -- and I’d rather be at home watching the Eastenders, on my couch with some ice cream –“

“Do you want Mari to kill you? Most of all Lila. That redhead has a mean swing.”

“Yeah,” Max replied, smoothing her forehead with her thumb and index finger. “That too. But look who’s talking… You gotta prepare for a mean alibi, woman. The Mirkwood Muse will be coming after you.”

The way she gulped could be heard over the phone. “I’ll come up with something… That’s why you need to be there. In fact, you better stay there,” Vega said, voice crackling over the phone. “There will be other days, and there will be other chances. I’m not in a hurry. Don’t forget that I’m one of the bridesmaids too, I’ll be going to the fitting with y— _Aaaaaah!_ ”

Max had to pull the phone away from her ear for a while since despite Vega screaming, it sounded more like an orgasmic groan than a person being surprised with the cab screeching at a red light.

“You okay?”                                                      

“Yeah I’m fine,” Vega said casually, a muffled shuffling was heard over the phone. “I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine… I’m very very fine.”

By this time, Max was already wearing an un-amused pensive expression on her face.

“Really now, Aeoren,” she said disbelievingly, after hearing muted giggling over the phone. “I would definitely stay, the menu is superb, the drinks are exactly what I need after dumping my TV night out of schedule, and I’m with the girls – so yes, definitely I’m staying. It’s you who I’m worried about.”

“Why would you be worried about me?”

“Because once upon a time you would have given up attending a dozen company meetings and even a night out with the girls so that you could come to rescue your best friend.”

Snorting was heard over the other line. “Please Max,” Vega said giggling. “Just say if you want out of that stupid Hen’s Do –“

“I wasn’t talking about myself.”

Silence. “Oh…” Vega finally spoke up.

“Well about that,” her friend spoke as Max ended up raising an eyebrow. “Just for the record, I wasn’t willing to give up that Girl’s Night Out in Puza back then, it’s not my fault Thain got drunk, and as of now, of course – the fiancé comes first.” Max smiled slyly, noticing the disdain and distress in Vega’s voice, and she knew she drove her point home. “I’ll let you know if I could make it. Okay?”

“Alright,” Max answered casually.

And with that, Vega ended the call with a beep.

Sighing, Max tucked her phone away and walked back to her table, where the girls were now prying Alexa and her brother answers based on life-changing questions as the other boys looked on. But all Max could think about is why she got sucked in that reconciliation plan Vega seemed to be mindlessly sketching out of a blank and dilapidated drawing board without even a decent strategy.

 

***

 

By the time Vega placed the phone down, she had to wince as her fiancé retracted his lips from the lobes of her free ear to say, “What was that?”

Clutching her phone a bit, thinking about the naughty things Max might have heard while they were talking, Vega smiled mischievously up at the green-eyed Australian boy and said, “Nothing really. It’s just Maxi.”

Running a hand through her hair after taking her little bonnet off and slipping his other hand around her waist under the denim jacket she’s wearing, Gale smiled slyly as he leaned closer towards the petite woman who was sitting snuggly beside him. “So you mean Maxi didn’t really care if you made those pretty noises when I did this…”

Soft shrieks and giggling filled the air as her lover pressed his lips against her ear again and started running his tongue around her lobes as Vega squirmed against his grasp. Her squeals softly turned into small moans when his hand travelled from her stomach to grab a breast, causing Gale to give her ear lobe a little nibble before crushing his lips with hers in an attempt to hide what they were doing from the cabbie who was trying hard not to look at the rearview mirror.

Her lips were probably swollen and she would have probably smeared her lip gloss all over his face after that torrid kissing when the cab screeched to a halt and they found themselves abruptly ending their make-out session to look out of the window and find Heathrow Airport standing beside them.

Casually placing the bonnet on her head and slipping out of the cab, she watched Gale get his luggage from the trunk after handing the cabbie a couple of bills, subtly telling him, “Thanks, mate” before winking at him.

“Have a happy trip ya lovebirds,” the cabbie called out before Gale shut the door, causing Vega to shake her head and smile down at her shoes.

Hand in hand, they walked towards the Heathrow Airport, jackets a bit damp because of the light drizzle. Before they could get to the entrance security however, Gale placed an arm around his fiancée and turned her around so he could get a proper look of her face despite the darkness slowly creeping in after the sunset.

“You know I can’t get past this point,” Vega said, tilting her head a bit, savoring the way he held her face. “You got your tickets?”

“Yep,” her fiancé replied as he held her face in his hands. “You’ve got the hotel keys?”

“Yep,” Vega answered, tapping the small purse that is dangling over her shoulder. “Thanks for letting me keep the room, love.”

Despite the pensive face, a small smile was seen from Gale’s lips as he gazed at his lover, the girl looking up at him as she admired those bright green eyes. Just when Vega thought she was drowning in this small happy moment despite the fact that they will be separated again, Gale shook his head and tore his eyes away from his fiancée, as he found himself kissing her forehead, her cheeks, and eventually her lips as he wrapped his arms around her waist and gently lifted her small frame from the ground.

“Mmmmf!” Vega made that muffled sound as her lips were crushed with his. Placing her down, he smiled back at her and reluctantly his embrace.

“I’ll miss you,” he whispered as he disengaged from the embrace, retracting the hand from her face as he picked up his luggage.

“I’ll _miss_ you more,” she whispered softly. “Say hi to my mum and dad for me.”

“Well,” he shrugged. “If they’ll have me.”

Vega frowned. “Of course they’ll have you!” she exclaimed, placing a hand on her hip.

Gale laughed as he stepped towards the curb that lead to the entrance. “I wish your brother shared the same sentiment,” he said back, winking at the girl.

The girl shook her head and stepped out of the way of an incoming cab, joining him on the curb but not going too far. “You just got off at a bad start,” Vega said, crossing her arms. “He’ll come around eventually.”

There was a bit of sadness, or disappointment perhaps, reflected on Gale’s face as he stopped in his tracks to glance at his girlfriend. There was something in his face that told Vega that he will miss her, but there was something in the way he moved that had some sort of urgency to get into the airport.

“Now now, Vey,” he chastised her. “Stop worrying about those things and let me handle them,” he said as he blew her a kiss. “Now go worry about our wedding while I’m gone. And don’t order that dress you’re planning to get from Vivien Westwood!”

Vega rolled her eyes, amused that he can crack a joke even before he could get out of her sight. “Fine! Fine!” she exclaimed, raising her hands up. “Don’t blame me if I get the Royal Prince as the ring bearer.”

That was when Gale burst out laughing.

He turned to find Vega smiling back at him, fondly looking at him as he stood tall, proud, and handsome in the line of people heading for security, slowly making it towards the entrance.

“ _I love you,_ ” he mouthed out to her. “ _I’ll call you._ ”

Vega nodded and made a heart sign with her hands, a bit of sadness showing in her eyes as she watched him turn around and disappear into the crowd.

Staring at the slew of people gushing towards the entrance of the airport, Vega stood at a safe curb where cabs pass her by one at a time, wondering if she would flag one and jump in. She stood at an open area where her fiancé left her, drawing her jacket around her body as the weather began to cool again, as a soft drizzle fell from the sky, making her feel… even damper than when she was in the cab.

 _Damn I forgot my umbrella_ , she regretfully mused to herself as she silently walked towards a covered taxi stand, crossing her arms in an attempt to keep herself warm. _I completely forgot about it thinking that Gale had one all along and he’d take me ho—_

She found herself standing alone in front of the taxi line, wondering how her fiancé would be doing right now. _Probably at the baggage check-in, chatting up the stewardesses as he usually does_ , she thought, frowning a bit. _He’s such a flirt sometimes. But anyway…_ She thought about the warm cozy heater that waited for her in the hotel room, probably acting pathetic for a little while as she threw herself under the covers and tried to bury herself in Gale’s pillow, inhaling the scent that her boyfriend left behind…

 _You’re perverted, Vega_ , she said in her mind miserably. _Anyway, the cleaning girl might have already changed the sheets by now…_

Suddenly jerking her head upwards when she heard that familiar TARDIS noise coming out of her purse, she quickly got her phone out to see if maybe Gale forgot something and he wants her to come back for him because he ain’t leaving anymore –

 

_VEGA. BUT YOU PROMISED. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A BIG NIGHT! WON’T YOU COME? :-( - LF_

 

She blinked for a while, remembering what Max said on the phone. She seriously was considering moping in the hotel, abusing room service, probably ordering three cups of milk tea or something till she falls asleep…

But then she remembered that this was a Girl’s Night. Not just any Girl’s Night. It’s Mari’s Do and Lila promised that there will be strippers… _Male_ strippers –

 

_Well the night is still young… - VG_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Cooler": A term used to describe someone who either knowingly (usually found in casinos) or unknowingly (usually in a bar) ruins a hot streak or situation. Honestly, the chapter does refer to Vega. Or Gale leaving for Melbourne. Or Max with her stupid phone calls, interrupting Vega's kinky time. She's starting to become Fred...


	11. The Heater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hen's Do continues: Lila has a surprise in store for Mari. Pete has a surprise for the boys as well. And a newcomer arrives who completely changes all the stakes.

Tom found himself joking around a new found friend that he found in James, Pete’s younger brother, as they discussed the similar experiences they had in Eton. He also had a good time chatting with Fred and exchanging sources with Thomas (or Tom J as the girls would call him just to differentiate the two of them) when they found out that the man worked in with the media as well. He completely forgot about his little conflict-of-emotion at the Tapas Place when all the boys decided to share this one cab, as they tried to discuss how they were supposed to escape Mari and Lila’s planned surprise Do at the Corinthia Hotel and have a little Stag Do of their own.

But as they walked towards the Big Royal Suite Lila and Pete have reserved at the 18th floor, the girls were all suddenly all a-hush as a completely oblivious Mari continued chatting with an animated Lila who was subtly leading her to the bolt-and-locked doors. However, you could see the blush that crept up on the girls’ faces as the brunette bride-to-be approached the door and placed her bangle-decorated hand on the knob.

They may have not noticed it, but all the boys suddenly backed off when Mari did turn the handle.

From the darkness in the room came wild disco sounds, laser lights, and a bit of smoke. Suddenly, a scantily-clad Captain America emerged from the dimly lit room to grab the bride-to-be in the quarters, causing the other women (who stood in front of the flabbergasted men) to shriek. Fred, who was beside himself laughing, had to hold onto a shocked-looking Tom who shared the same expression with the other men in tow… as they were left behind and ignored outside the room as the giggling girls filed in and slowly entered the doors.

Before they closed the door though, Tom and Fred caught Lila’s eye as the girl laughed and winked at the two, subtly nodding at Pete as some sort of signal. And then she slammed the door in their faces.

“And now with that settled,” the groom exclaimed, rubbing his hands together, looking at the tall Scottish ladykiller with his English thespian best buddy, his own ginger-haired younger brother, his co-worker, and a young, confused and dazed Alex who was left behind by twin sister.

“Y-you mean we’re not joining them –“ Alex stuttered, making him look as if he was five years younger than his actual age of 23.

“Well my man,” Pete exclaimed, clapping him on the back. “You’re free to join them if you wish –“

“Well no –“

“Then better stick with us then,” Fred said, regaining his composure as he draped an arm protectively over the youngest in their group. “We’ve got something better than Avengers rejects of the Gay Bar down Central, do we Peter?”

Enthusiasm boosted by the growing smiles on the men’s faces, the groom-to-be pulled on the lapels of his jacket and straightened up, saying, “Well why don’t we go there and find out? I have the other Royal Suite reserved in the West Wing of the Hotel reserved for us,” and spying the naughty, mischievous, and teasing looks on their faces he added… “And don’t you worry – Mari pretty much gave me her permission...”

“That is just superb,” Tom found himself saying, as he felt a warm bubble of excitement rising up in his chest – something he didn’t feel for quite a long while… despite having those ridiculous pastime quickies and flings driven by his adrenaline rush and unpredictable libido once in a while that Fred pretended not to know about.

“What are we waiting for then?”

No one could agree with the ginger-haired actor even more as they all started chatting merrily and teasing Pete about his “planned activities” for that night as they headed for the lifts, making their way for the lobby.

Entering the lift to the right that stood with a row of elevator doors, the boys were enjoying a good laugh out of Fred’s little joke about weddings when the lift doors closed in their faces. Their lift just closed and descended the building when the far elevator to the right suddenly did a gentle _ding!_ as it reached the 18 th floor, slamming open, revealing a bored-looking Vega still clad in her rain-drenched denim jacket, hiding that halter-style black blouse under it.

She marched out of the lift, phone in hand, seemingly looking for a room number written in one of her text messages as she passed one door to another.

As she approached the big double doors at the end of the hallway, reading “Royal Suite, 1850”, you could see how the expression on Vega’s face changed into something of curiosity to something of confusion as she parted her lips in response to the loud techno sounds that were seemingly from Justin Timberlake’s “Lovesounds” album, coupled by the shrieking of high-pitched female voices heard from the inside.

One hand clutching her phone, still lit up bright with Lila’s message being reflected on the touch screen, she raised her other hand to rap her knuckles on the surface of the door.

No one could explain her expression either when the door was answered by a man whose features and body rivaled even those of Chris Hemsworth as she eyed him from head to toe… With those bulging muscles accented with separate parts from Thor’s Asgardian armor, topped off with an out of place black bowtie wrapped around his neck.

“Hello, I must be in the wrong roo—“

She wasn’t even able to finish her statement when stripper Thor grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into the room, slamming the door closed.

 

 

***

 

“Atta boy!”

“Oh but what would Mari say --”

“Oh don’t ya be a fussy baby and be a man! This is your last night Petey –“

“Oh come on – Lads?!”

 

Alex could only look on helplessly as he sat on a lone couch with both Fred and Tom sitting on the handrests, wishing he had his twin sister’s hand to hold during that moment when a sultry-looking belly dancer winked at him as she was shaking her curves over at Pete who was just probably a few inches away from his seat.

Pete, who was sitting in the middle couch, seemingly tied (albeit very loosely) to the wrist by the belly dancers (three of them, to be honest) with colored silken cloth as some sort of kink, was trying to keep his shit together as one of them – the chocolately-looking-hot-exotic one (according to Fred and Thomas J.) started shimmying her hips and almost shoving her chest in his face… with those luscious looking tits about to pop out of those purple-colored satin piece.

It didn’t help that one of the dancers, a beautiful petite-looking tanned girl with seductive eyes and blonde hair started dancing around, dangling baubles, beads, and scarves over the young Southerner’s head. The young man suddenly turned red, laughed nervously as she ran her hands on his chest, sending lightning crashing against his nerve endings.

To his relief, Frederick snaked a hand around Alex’s neck and unwrapped one of the scarves wrapped around it, and gracefully jerking the small dancing girl to come twirling into his arms.

“First time to join a Stag’s Do, Alex?” Tom said emphatically, smiling as he placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “You seem very nervous.”

The blonde young man nodded, and said, “I really just came here for Alexa. And Sam…”

Tom found himself raising an eyebrow. “Really? Samantha?” he inquired, looking a bit baffled as the boy bashfully nodded his head. “Have a little bit of a crush, do you kid?”

Alex laughed nervously as Tom helped the slightly tipsy young man up, holding him by the arm as he lead him to the pantry, a place that shuts out the music and the giggles of the dancing girls enticing the small group of bachelors. “It’s not really that, sir…” he said dazedly as he watched the older man take a bottled water out of the refrigerator, screwing it open as he handed it to the younger blonde. “You see… Sam and I were also friends. We also remained in contact but she doesn’t know the truth…”

Getting a water bottle for himself, Tom unceremoniously laughed and said, “That sounds complicated.”

“Yeah,” Alex said nervously as he rubbed his hands together. “But let me ask you this question sir –“

Tom just ended up chuckling a bit. “No need to be formal here,” he said, winking at the kid, half wishing he’d shut his trap so he’d go back to ogling those belly dancers. “Please just call me Tom.” But a part of his mind wanted him to stay away from the kinky scene since he had his share of that for the past few days, and it would feel so awkward getting frisky at a time like this, considering its Pete’s Stag Do and the fact that the girls are just probably a building away. _Imagine the looks on their faces when they find out you’ve been screwing around_ , he thought to himself as he drank out of the bottle. _Well maybe they don’t really give a damn since we’re all adults here…_

“You are truly Thain right?” Alex suddenly spoke, rousing him out of his thoughts. “The real _Thain Cuelenmae_?”

Tom almost choked on the water he was drinking upon the mention of the full name of his character. It had always been a curious fact that his character and Vega’s character had always been considered as “siblings” ( _sisters_ even) despite the different Sylvari surnames. As Thain was a _Cuelenmae_ and Aeoren was a _Vanelon_ (named after their mother), their lore included having the same birth mother, despite having different fathers – Thain being a pure elf, and Aeoren being half-human. Reflecting on this old little fact that was shared with his old friend, Tom suddenly found a certain sadness washing over him as he nodded in agreement to Alex’s question.

“How were you able to convince the girls that you were the _real_ Thain then?” Alex asked. “Surely there was some sort of difficulty, especially when you’re Tom Hiddleston and all –“

He chuckled once more, hiding a bit of sadness in his smile when he remembered that moment in the Milk Bar where all the girls literally screamed as they were in their seats, with Max clutching Vega’s sleeve in response, as the latter did a comical gesture he would never forget as she spewed water all over the floor behind their chairs.

“There was some sort of difficulty,” Tom spoke, relishing in his memories of Vega being unable to look past his celebrity profile and see him as the online buddy she always had. “It took me quite a while for them to warm up to me,” he said chuckling a bit, turning the bottle cap round and round his hands as he stood against the counter. “But of course, Fred may tell you otherwise…”

He then smiled at the young man who just shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

“But still,” Tom continued. “You have to put your faith in them trusting in you. Considering that I have been chatting with them for almost ten years or so… give or take a few hiatuses…”

He took another sip from the bottle as he watched Alex play with his nervously.

“But of course, no offense –“ Tom started. “But isn’t it that it was your sister who was basically online pals with the girls? I do know that Sam was enamoured with Alistair, but something happened in between – their interests changed, they drifted apart –“ Tom found himself scratching his head. “I don’t really know the whole story but –“

“Honestly, it’s because Sam got a boyfriend,” Alex suddenly answered gravely, making Tom a bit surprised as well as a tad uncomfortable for Sam, considering that they all barely knew this kid in his early twenties. They knew Alexa, they chatted with Alexa, but never with Alex. Well Alexa did drag her brother online several times but as a guest account. “And she never told Alistair about it…” the boy added, looking forlorn.

Widening his eyes after letting out a soft whistle, Tom exclaimed suspiciously, “Well it’s quite a surprise you know a lot about Sam’s personal life… Does your sister know about this?”

“Well…”

“Forgive me,” Tom exclaimed suddenly, shaking his head. He knew exactly what the poor boy was going through, and he did attempt to spy on Aeoren during those years when she was silent. “I guess it doesn’t really matter if you were just peeking over her shoulder or something while they chatted –“

“I told you,” Alex sighed again. “It’s complicated. _I am Alistair Elfwen._ ”

Tom found himself raising an eyebrow upon hearing his statement. Alex was just a new boy on the team, someone invited on a whim since the girls just learned _coincidentally_ that the twins were taking up their Post-Grads in the University of East Anglia… Suddenly things were just a tad too confusing _._

“How is it possible that you,” Tom asked, pointing a finger at him. “—are Alistair Elfwen?”

“But wasn’t it that your sister used the handle _Alistair Elfwen_?”

“Yes.”

“But now you’re telling me that you are Alistair as well?”

“Yes.”

Wincing as he scratched through his curls, Tom could only mutter “Now this is really confusing,” causing the young man standing in front of him to sigh forlornly.

Biting his lip, finding the courage to talk to a man whom he only knew (and even thought was a woman) online for almost a decade ago, Alex started reasoning out. “Alexa’s a fan, I’m a fan… but she never had time for roleplaying due to her hectic schedule, piano lessons, gymnastics and the like. I, on the other hand, am someone who preferred sitting on his desk, researching for school work… with of course, the occasional internet pastime.”

“Sibling rivalry?” Tom asked, chuckling.

“Slight,” Alex confirmed.

“So when Lexa got bored with using the handle,” Alex whispered softly, only enough for Tom to hear. “I decided to take over…”

“…and then you fell for Snipelass,” Tom exclaimed, wide-eyed… the entire situation suddenly making sense. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, the older man quickly placed a hand on Alex’s shoulder and marched him back into the room that reeked with incense, perfume, the sound of exotic music, and sex. Harrying him towards the door, Tom ignored the raunchy scene that involved Fred canoodling with the petite girl and the hot-exotic main dancer thrusting her breasts into Pete’s face.

“Tell you what,” Tom started as he turned to the younger man, now beet red. “I completely understand how you feel. In fact, I’d probably put my confidence in you and tell you that I have been through the same ordeal –“

“You fell in love with one of the girls too?!” Tom probably missed the fact that Alex was pretty good at deduction and was the class Salutatorian when he graduated from High School.

“It’s not important,” he quickly snapped back as he opened the Right Wing Royal Suite Door open. “But what matters right now is that you my man, should be walking up to Room 1850 right now.”

Alex winced. “But they’re having that man party –“

“Haven’t Alistair Elfwen swore to tell the truth to his troops and especially the prime _truth_ to his Snipelass?” Tom asked, raising an eyebrow and flashing a smile, proud of himself for still keeping tabs on their old characters and completely amused by how Alex’s fear seemingly melted away upon hearing that old line he made specifically for his character. _If there is one thing that is so surreal and mental about all of this_ , Tom thought as the boy tried to collect his thoughts. _Is that Alex and I are so the same. We are all the same. Sometimes our stories are all the same…_

“You’ve got to take this chance before you miss it.”

“You’re right,” Alex said nodding. “You’re actually right.”

“Then you are ready,” Tom said smiling.

“I still can’t believe I’m taking this kind of advice from Tom Hiddleston –“

“You better believe it,” he said, winking, before giving the boy a final pat on the shoulder before pushing him onwards. “Now go!”

Closing the door, he laughed to himself as he turned around to survey the damage within the scene… where James was flirting with the another tall, blonde dancer and Fred have taken up to eating up the face of his own exotic girl. What caught his eye was how the groom has managed to convince the belly dancer giving him a lapdance to come striding towards the tall British Actor, without having his bonds taken off.

“Well, well, well,” Tom mused as the beautiful tanned girl circled him. “What do we have here?”

The dancer approached him with much grace and such a seductive glare, as she conveniently shook her hips, the bells ringing as she ran a cloth-covered hand over Tom’s muscled arms. What completely had him rooted to the spot is the fact that her chest was bare, her bosom full and pert, heaving with every movement she did.

“I passed my pre-marital test,” Pete said chuckling, having undid his bonds, now sitting beside the other Tom.

“Are you guys sure you don’t –“ Tom started to speak, but he had to suck in his breath when the dancer’s fingers moved from his shoulder down to his chest.

“She’s taken some kind of liking to you, Tom,” the other Thomas exclaimed, rolling up his sleeves as he sat beside Pete. Painstakingly tearing his eyes away from the beautifully curved dancer and her exposed tits that was begging to be sucked, Tom realized that the two men who opted out were basically the groom (who was very much in love and saving himself for an active wedding night) and Thomas J (who was obviously in a new relationship with his girlfriend and wasn’t really keen on fucking a random belly dancer that night).

“She has been looking at you the entire time,” Pete continued, snickering. “Her chest may be in my face, but those chocolate eyes were following you around the room…”

Licking his lips as he seductively snaked his arm around the girl’s waist, his long slender fingers lightly tugging on the gold chain that decorated and accented those full hips, Tom pulled the gorgeous dancer closer to him, letting her slick and voluptuous body crash into his with a soft _thump,_ letting him savor on how those curves felt so good against his muscles…

“You’ve got such beautiful blue eyes…” the girl spoke with a strong accent, making her true to the character she was playing that night.

Grabbing her by the hips and sitting on the couch Alex occupied earlier, Tom sat the woman on his lap as he held his breath when she started gyrating her hips against his. He wasn’t really expecting to get some that night since it was exclusively (and separately) Pete’s and Mari’s night, but he would say that he was just so _luck_ y _…_

“Why don’t you show me what you can do, darling?” He growled, his voice low and gravelly. “After all, I am getting…”

 

 

“…kinda bored.”

Max rolled her eyes at the woman who sat beside her on the couch, balancing her head on a fist after having to set aside her drenched denim jacket, being grinded up and covered in body glitter in the process, thanks to the hunk who was somewhat dressed up as Iron Man. Vega wasn’t really looking amused either, having most of the glitter dumped on her lower back exposed by the halter blouse she was wearing, after the Hawkeye stripper ended up brushing his chest (and really perky nipples) against her shoulder blades.

“You’re bored?” Max groaned sarcastically, now sporting a cleavage-revealing blouse after having to set-aside the thick wooly sweater, saying that the _scene_ happening inside the Royal Suite is heating the place up. Tugging at the scarf that remained around her neck in response to how one of the strippers dipped his hips to Bruno Mars’s “Gorilla”, Max turned to Vega and exclaimed, “The one time prudish Mari sucks lime juice off a naked man’s body and _you’re bored?!_ ”

She turned to see Elise and Mari’s sister Sophia, beside themselves shrieking as they watched Mari lick salt off the Captain America Stripper’s adonis belt, while Lila had doubled over and almost fell off the couch, laughing.

“Getting grinded and sandwiched between two guys isn’t really my idea of entertainment,” Vega whispered, slightly hissing, as she found herself suddenly shuddering when the curly-blonde-haired Thor winked at her as he was busy making Lis squeal as he circled her seat over a solo couch, running those meaty hands over her exposed shoulders.

“Well that’s a surprise,” Max said, biting her lip as she eyed the package on the biggest guy in the room painted glistening green from head to toe, showcasing those muscles as a stripper version of Bruce Banner’s monstrous transformation. “If I remember you’re the one who was squealing -- ‘STRIPPERS! STRIPPERS!’ -- on the phone yesterday,” said the girl, as Vega was unable to hold back a chuckle.

“Well that was before you said that smacking on your fiancé in the cab on the way to the airport was more important that strippers –“

“YOU WERE WITH YOUR FIANCE THE ENTIRE TIME?!” Lis suddenly erupted, completely ignoring the stripper twerking in her face.

“HE WENT TO THE AIRPORT?!”

“HE ALREADY LEFT –“

“AND WE DIDN’T EVEN MEET HIM –“

Holding her hands up, Vega could only half-snicker and said, “He had to go back to seal a merger and secure a project. He said he would have loved to meet you guys, but he’d probably do that towards the wedding.”

“Tch,” Max grumbled. “You’re just hiding him from us –“

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Finding it as an excuse to get away from the pestering, Vega found herself swerving out of stripper Thor’s way as she outrun him towards the door… only to find this nervous-looking boy wearing plaid, panting as he stood in front of the door.

“Hello,” Vega said in a confused and calculating tone. “You are –“

“Oh!” The sandy-haired boy suddenly exclaimed, a small _hic_ coming from his throat, causing the small Asian girl to grip the door awkwardly and raise an eyebrow as he bent over, trying to catch his breath. “You must be Aeoren –“

“I am Alexa’s brother, Alex,” he started, before Vega widened her eyes and went, “You’re Alistair’s brother? Oh cool come in, mind the men –“ Ushering him in, she marched him in as the boy turned red seeing all those muscled men who are scantily clad in brightly colored underwear. “Alexa? Your brother is here –“

But the moment he saw his sister, sitting side by side with the blonde and tipsy Sam – who were busy stuffing a few notes down stripper Iron Man’s red pants that just couldn’t hide his huge boner, the poor boy just suddenly coughed and –

“DEAR GOD!” Vega screamed as she stepped aside, holding onto Alex’s arm as he threatened to spill his Spanish dinner all over the floor.

His sister stopped ogling the hunky dancer and got up to her feet, quickly helping her brother to her feet, leaving Sam all on her own, looking a bit confused – before being seduced by the dancing metal man.

Lila was quickly on her feet too, leaving Mari giggling in her corner as the stripper had her attention, as he came to help Alexa carry her twin brother to the bathroom. “Make sure he does his business there,” the redhead said frantically, checking the floor if he was able to hold his stomach.

“Thank you,” Alexa exclaimed as she carried her brother inside, with Lila holding Alex’s other arm.

Vega found herself exchanging weird glances with Max who sat conveniently on the couch, a mile away from the disaster area. What was peculiar was, the stripper boys didn’t seem to mind the sudden crisis that happened in the room, or they were too busy doing their thing. You wouldn’t blame them, they were paid per hours.

Suddenly getting out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind her, Lila let out a sigh as she leaned against the door.

“That was smooth, _Aeoren_ ,” Max exclaimed, eyeing her friend in the halter from head to toe.

“He almost barfed on my foot!” Vega exclaimed, pointing at her open-toed sandals that gave her a bit of height, despite her “shrimpy” stature, as Fred would tease her.

“Well at least he was here _early_ ,” Max whined, making the Asian girl who sat beside her palm her face, tempted to comically strangle her friend whom she hasn’t seen for quite a while.

“Going back to the topic -- there better be an update on your wedding Vega,” Lila muttered as she stepped over the pile of clothes on the floor, having discarded by stripper Bruce Banner before “transforming” into stripper Hulk. Holding a glass of wine, swirling its contents around to sit near Max, the redhead was already a bit tipsy as she teased the unamused-looking petite woman wearing a black halter top. “You don’t show us your fiancé, you come to Mari’s Bachelorette Party as of late – Don’t you think you owe us something at least for these mortal sins?!”

Vega laughed out, albeit a bit sarcastically. “Mortal sin?! How can this be a mortal sin –“ Straightening up on her seat, uncomfortable of the way stripper Thor with his out-of-character golden curly locks framing that Anglo face winked at her, she tucked a foot under her thigh and said, “Fine then, if you think I owe you something –“

“Ooooh,” Max interrupted, biting her lip. “I think Thor likes you.”

Wrinkling her nose and turning a bit red, positively not because of the brandy she was drinking, Vega gulped and shot back at the tanned Latina sitting beside her – “Well better Thor than his weird fucking brother –“

“We could have gotten his _brother_ ,” Lila said, chuckling mischievously, drinking from her glass. “We were so close to getting Tom to don a make-shift Loki outfit so he could strip for us –“

Two girls probably shrieked in the room, but it definitely wasn’t Vega who was looking at Lila as if the girl told her that her favorite pet – a cute and adorable Golden Retriever – was run over by their neighbor’s car.

“OH MY FUCKING GOD –“

“ARE YOU SERIOUS LIL –“

Vega got up to her feet, trying to ignore how Max was bent over laughing, spilling a bit of that Cognac on her pants. “ ** _NO_** ,” Vega exclaimed shuddering in clear disgust, making a huge ‘X’ with her arms, stepping over a hysterical Lila, and ignoring a screaming Lis. “ ** _I WILL PRETEND I DID NOT HEAR THAT. I DIDN’T HEAR THAT. AT ALL. NOW WHERE IS THE VIDEOKE MICROPHONE – I NEED TO SING MY WORRIES AWAY –_** “

Dodging the Steve Rogers stripper who eyed her deliciously from head to toe as he had his hands up, grinding to the music… Vega kept her hands close to her chest to stop herself being pulled into a kinky dance with some of the strippers as she approached a wooden-table where the Videoke-mic was lying, near a drunken Elise and Sophie, gossiping as they giggled at how stripper Iron Man flirted with them.

Picking up the Videoke-mic, with one finger placed on her ear, she was busy inspecting the controls, realizing that just like most of the Videoke systems she has used – this one had the remote embedded into the mic. Turning around to face the saner ones who were trying to touch stripper Hulk’s purple undies, Vega called out, “Okay Lila, choke up the Videoke Music Chart! Where is it?!”

Chuckling as she exchanged naughty glances with Max, she said, “Sorry sweetie, Videoke numbers are only for lap dances.”

Dropping her arms, Vega found herself half sarcastically grinning and half-grunting as she palmed her face. “I seriously just wanted to sing one song and are you telling me that in order to do that I need to get a lap dance first?!”

“Actually,” Max said, hiccupping. “You are only allowed to use the Videoke machine if you give one of these hunks here a lap dance –“ She pointed at the blonde curly-haired Thor impersonator who has taken her hand and was dragging it along his exposed, taut chest.

“Sorry, Thor’s rules.” She added ironically.

Palming her face, as she twisted her ring around her finger, she found herself uncomfortably staring at how Thor tried to seduce her by dancing suggestively around her friends who can’t get their hands off him. “You guys do realize I have a boyfriend whom I just dragged to the airport earlier and he just left, right?” she exclaimed, hand holding the mic still on her waist. ”Do you realize how incredibly awkward this is?!”

“Ah yes, the one you deliberately hid from us,” Max exclaimed sipping from her glass.

“Don’t you realize that it’s the right and perfect time for you to let your hair loose Vega?” Lila teased. “After all, Thor here can put you out of your misery since your fiancé bailed out on you –“

Squinting her eyes, Vega exclaimed, “Come on guys he didn’t bail out on me, it was an emergency –“ But seeing their tipsy giggles and megalomaniac grins, she only sighed and threw her hands up over her head. “What the hell you guys aren’t even listening…”

Still standing over her corner as she continued shaking her head in defiance, Vega looked up at the giggling girls who were now joined by a really red Lis and Mari who were catcalling at her to take-up the offer.

Turning the ring around her finger and smiling slyly, Vega spoke up – “OH WHO CARES I’LL GET KNOCKED UP SOMEDAY – okay guys, really. Where is the Music List?”

Max deviously smiles and points to Thor, where there are certain strips of paper hooked to his red underwear, making Vega cringe as she palmed her face again. “Of course,” Max teased. “The God of Thunder here had certain special selections for his lapdance…”

Retracting the hand from her face, now obviously looking red, Vega just couldn’t say no when the 6’4” stripper with twice the muscles as Chris Hemsworth approached her, still rocking his hips to the beat of the music. Rubbing her hands together and sheepishly smiling at the stripper, Vega shut her eyes closed and looked away (much to the shrieking and egging of the girls who were watching her), as she reached out to pull a piece of sweat-and-body-oil-drenched paper that was conveniently tucked in those expensive men’s underwear that completely showcased his enormous… package.

Gulping amidst the cheers and stripper Thor’s shit-eating grin that somewhat looked _too familiar_ , Vega turned the paper around her hands to read the hastily scribbled song title and artist along with the song code that was obviously Lila’s personal handwriting –

 

**_I Wanna Be Your Lover_ **

**_Corinne Bailey Rae_ **

**_102423_ **

 

Vega looked up as she turned beet red, gritting her teeth, glaring at the girls who got her into this.

“Fuck.”

 

 

***

 

Rolling over to his side as he lay flat on his back, he was drenched with sweat, those pectorals glistening as his chest heaved up and down. Trying to get a hold of himself, he smoothed his hands over the silken sheets of the bed, smiling to himself as he silently praised Pete in his head for getting the suite with the most inconspicuous rooms.

Tom got a little bit carried away and arranged for a private lap dance from the sultry belly-dancing escort. Of course it became more than a lap dance the moment she grabbed his hand and slid those long fingers in between her legs. The high class belly-dancing escorts did say that going past a lap dance would cost _a little more extra_ , but even if you’re a high-end call girl… how often do you get to bed a sultry, sophisticated, and well-built British Actor with a charm that causes you to _drop the extra charge because he was extra sweet anyway?_

And you can say that she did like all that _extra sweet_ with the smile on her face as she lay naked, tangled in what’s left of her costume (with the rest of the belly-dancer ensemble crumpled on the carpeted floor), with a sheen of sweat covering her body – especially those succulent breasts that were a bit loved too much, having been tugged and nipped at for several times till she came. In fact, she came twice.

Now she had to quickly get up and out of bed, considering that aside from the sweat covering her from head to toe, her face and her chest was conveniently decorated with _something more_ , a little something that assured her that her _client_ was more than satisfied. Biting her lip as she sat up, those delicious curves bouncing, she looked back at the beautiful man sprawled beside her as she picked up one of those ragged cloths that he tore off her body – something that wasn’t really fit for wearing anymore – as she dabbed her chest with it to clean herself off with his juices.

Tom smiled up at the girl and admired the dancer’s physique, not to mention how she repeatedly screamed in that sultry voice laced with that wonderful Spanish accent the entire time she was riding him, her hands clawing at his chest.

“That was a mighty fine shag, darling,” he exhaled, still trying to catch his breath. “ _Perfecto eras…_ ”

He couldn’t see it in the dark and the dimly lit room but she blushed as she bit her lip and got up to her feet, making him admire that beautiful naked body even more.

“ _Muchos gracias, senor…_ ” she answered back before she turned around, picked her costume from the floor, and headed for the bathroom.

As he lustfully watched her walk away, Tom gave one last sigh before he stretched out on the bed, as he sat up and pulled his pants off the floor. He looked at the digital clock on the slightly unused bedstand that told him that it was already 30 minutes past 3am and he probably have lost track of time after having too much of that sixteen-year-old wine after watching two of the remaining escorts do a sultry dance for James and Fred, before they too eventually ended up in the remaining rooms of the suite. Fred may even have taken one of the dancers to a spare room Pete may have reserved in a flash. At this point in time, everyone else would have probably been wasted, or asleep.

Having clothed himself, he looked over at his phone sitting conveniently just beside the digital clock, seemingly silent after the entire time he was enjoying his own “ _private lap dance”_ from the courtesan.

 _Well of course,_ he laughed to himself. _Fred’s pretty busy himself to even try to toy with my conscience this time…_

He picked the phone up and switched the screen open, causing him to raise an eyebrow when he realized he received a media file from one of the girls from across the building, who were supposedly enjoying some “adult” time of their own.

It was Max.

 

_1:25am --_

_THIS IS WHAT YOU MISSED ON GLEE – I mean, THIS IS WHAT YOU MISSED ON MERCENARY TV AFTER CHICKENING OUT OF THE GAY BAR_.

_P.S. WHERE IS FRED? HE’S NOT ANSWERING MY MESSAGES!_

 

Tom laughed to himself having realized that Max sent him a video. Flopping down on the bed, he thought uncomfortably about the fact that it may be Lis or Mari eating nutella off a stripper’s cock, or that hot redhead Lila getting grinded up by one of the boys, but he couldn’t deny that the idea suddenly stirred his own cock awake despite the intense fucking he just had been through.

But Tom realized that he wasn't prepared at all when he played the video.

 

_I wanna be your mother_

_I wanna be your father and your sister too_

_There ain’t no other_

_That can do the things that I'll do to you_

 

The video was grainy alright, but it definitely didn’t play tricks with his eyes. Squinting, he held his iPhone closer to his face, only to realize how his heart started pounding quicker – even faster than the time earlier when he watched his Latina belly-dancer slowly stripping in front of him.

There she was – those small shoulders often hidden away by work blouses and thick cardigans, exposed and accentuated by that halter top, as she moved in a way he never saw her dance before… As she strutted around that curly-haired male sitting on a chair positioned in the middle of the room, as the girls whom he considered his sisters started screaming and howling at what _she_ was doing.

 _How the –_ he thought in complete confusion as he watched the woman shyly giggle as the stripper held her hips, before turning into that seductive vixen he never saw before. _But I thought she couldn’t come?!_

He held his breath while color filled his cheeks as he watched Vega open her legs and step over the man’s lap, dipping her hips to the music, as she held the microphone suggestively with two hands, winking straight at the camera that was obviously held by Max –

 

_And I get discouraged_

_Cause you treat me just like a child_

_They say I'm so shy --_

_But with you I just go wild,_

_Oooh!_

 

 

 _But that’s my song_ , Tom felt his head spin. _THAT’S MY SONG!_

 

He remembered how he filled his living room with that song the night after Vega left his flat, still smelling glorious with that perfume, her breath still sweet with the wine they were drinking, that night after that Baz Luhrmann Party when he first kissed her…

 

_She actually came?_

_SHE’S THERE RIGHT NOW?!_

_BUT IT’S WAY PAST 3 AM AND IT’S ALMOST FOUR –_

_COULD SHE STILL BE THERE?_

_SHE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SLEEPING JUST THERE –_

_SHE MAY BE EVEN SLEEPING WITH SOMEONE SOMEWHERE ELSE –_

_Could Vega even do that?_

_Oh Lord, is it even possible –_

Tom realized that he was breathing too hard and he couldn’t take his eyes off the screen at all.

He suddenly felt goosebumps crawl up his back as he felt cold, causing him to hold his phone with one hand as he pulled his dress shirt over his torso, painstakingly trying to button it with his shaking fingers as he watched his so-called bestfriend hold the back of the chair where the male stripper sat, as she positioned herself over his lap, as she bent her body and grinded herself against him –

It was too much for Tom.

And to think he just got lucky earlier.

 

“DAMN IT!” he gritted his teeth, screaming. “WHY DID I EVEN LEAVE?!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heater -- 
> 
> ((Meaning #1)): A ritualistic male bonding event consisting of complete and total inebriation, drugs, intercourse with various women, and disregard for law. Usually lasting 2 nights and resulting in bankruptcy, divorce, arrests, annulments, and break-ups. 
> 
> ((Meaning #2)): noun : an exceptionally attractive person; one that heats; especially: female. 
> 
> Kind of applies to the entire scene, doesn't it? 
> 
> The song "I Wanna Be Your Lover" is brought up again, much to the irony of it all since Vega is the one singing it this time around instead of Tom (who was tweeting the song lyrics back in "A Blind Conversation").


	12. Something Borrowed, Something Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the day of Mari's wedding, but something doesn't seem right.

**_[Entry # 7] Miss Star’s Tips on Surviving an Unplanned Hen’s Do:_ **

 

_1._ _Don’t wear a halter top if you don’t want male body glitter spread all over your exposed skin._   
_2._ _Make sure to clean off all that body glitter if you do plan to make a quick escape at 3am so that you won’t be mistaken for a high-end call girl by cabbies._   
_3._ _In fact, don’t take a cab at all._   
_4._ _On second thought, take that cab so you won’t be whistled and egged on by white trash smoking weed in the street._

 

Vega found herself holding her head in a nonchalant manner as she reviewed that one entry in her web blog, groaning as she pictured the distress plastered on her face that night when she attended Mari’s chaotic Bachelorette party.

It was almost 3am in the morning, and she suddenly found herself awake after having a long-distance call with Gale. It had been a week or so ever since that disastrous Hen’s Do happened, where she appeared without a warning, even if she did say she wasn’t coming at all. She found herself laughing when she saw those pictures Mari had taken that night…

 

_[Inserted picture of Max and Lis with their arms slung around stripper Thor’s delicious waist, both of their eyes obviously plastered on his package]_

_8.    Remind your friends to filter your pictures if they ever plan to release it in Facebook. Nobody wants to see you hanging around with a scantily-clad Norse God. Especially if your boss sees it. Ugh._

 

It was clear as if it was yesterday, although she preferred to forget what she did after downing half a glass of tequila before she did that “Videoke” dare the girls kept rapping about the next few days. She does remember Max doing the same “Videoke” dance for stripper Iron Man, but it wasn’t as traumatic as what she had with stripper Thor. Not to mention the fucking song she picked out of his undergarments…

 

_[Inserted picture of Vega taking a drunken selfie, while pointing ironically at Max sitting on Iron Man’s lap]_

_10._     _If you’re in a Stripper Party, Hen’s Do, Stag’s Do or WHATEVER IT IS THAT HAS TO DO ANYTHING WITH STRIPPERS – forget the Videoke. Especially when your friends use their knowledge of you always wanting to break into song as an excuse for you to get “lucky”._

 

She could remember that there was a few drinks more, Lila tried the “Videoke” lap dance as well, but ended up tripping and laughing on the floor that she had to be set up on a chair for one of the strippers to do the lap dance for her instead. By this time, Alexa and Alex have emerged from one of the rooms, and seemingly Alex might have stopped at his third barf bag for the night. Escaping any of the other dares the girls may have set up on her, she left the hotel with the twins, and chatted them up as they shared a cab… after finding out that the two lived just a few blocks away from her hotel.

 _It was a fun night_ , Vega thought. Well, she did kind of regret missing _some things_ … But she was pretty much relieved that Tom and Fred weren’t there. But somewhat knowing that Max did video her lap dance, it made her a little bit uncomfortable…

Scrolling back a few entries, Vega felt herself sigh when she saw an older entry she made about that one time she documented a dinner she shared with Gale in a very posh Indian restaurant. Despite the typical stoic expression on her fiancé’s face, you could say that Vega looked very happy in the pictures. And this made her smile.

To think about it, she did just call up Gale earlier, probably an hour before she found herself going through her blog. He was just about to go to work, thanks to their time zone differences… and she had to cut the call short when he entered the tube. Albeit a bit happy that she heard his voice, she suddenly found herself all alone in coldness of the hotel room. Despite having most of the day off yesterday, she wouldn’t say that she had any relaxation during the past few days, and she had a wedding to go to in six hours.

Passing the time, with a cup of tea beside her laptop as she tried to lull herself back to sleep (making note not to open the television, considering that if there was another Doctor Who rerun, she’d be up till naught and she’d be late to the wedding); she just decided to go through the pages of her travel blog, probably ticking off some possible grammar errors or broken links she may have overlooked during the excitement (or chaos) of the past few days.

 

**_[Entry #9] Miss Star’s Tips on Becoming a Bridesmaid_ **

 

_…I wish I couldn’t, but I can’t avoid it._

 

_When they say red is your color, just go with it. It’s not your day, and if you don’t go with what they would say, it wouldn’t become your day either. After all, who knows, red may be good on you…_

_[Pic inserted of Vega standing with a non-plussed Max, sandwiched between the latter and a giddy Sam, as they wore three different red versions of a long frilly gown – Sam sporting an off-shoulder look, Max wearing a sleeveless, tube-top version with a big ballooning skirt, while Vega is wearing another halter style v-neck that made her wish that she didn’t have enough boobs to fill it in.]_

_See what I mean?_

_Don’t I look gorgeous?_

_Please don’t send this to my fiancé, he’ll miss the fact that he had to go back to Victoria._

Vega found herself smiling, finding it ridiculous that she gets to mention her boyfriend in almost every entry she posted in “Miss Star’s London Travels”, that blog she just started out of boredom when she transferred to the said city. Honestly she decided to start a blog to practice her writing and documentation, considering that her current work is going to be all about that… But seeing some of his pictures popping up in the older entries, she just realized that maybe she missed Gale so much… but it’s barely been two weeks…

She did join the girls on the dress-fitting day, making the entry about a few days old. She laughed when she remembered how Max chased Lis around the pedestal after joking how she was fat, while Vega looked at herself in the huge mirrors, thinking about the fact that she would have this experience to become a bridesmaid to a friend… a prelude to her role to being a bride in the future. In fact, this is only the second time Vega played as the bridesmaid, considering that the first big wedding she went to was her brother’s and she wasn’t even the bridesmaid – she was actually made the Maid of Honor.

But this Wedding – Vega kept in mind that this may be the last wedding that she may attend as a single, unmarried woman. It’s a pity that her fiancé can’t be with her, but she knew that if Gale could stay in London, he would have went to Mari’s Wedding with her…

_If only things were different…_

Sighing after realizing that her love way a thousand leagues away, she found herself scrolling past another entry that detailed what happened (or at least most of it) during Mari’s Wedding Dress rehearsal… And most of the details of the story were told by pictures.

 

**_[Entry #10] Wedding Rehearsal Day!_ **

 

_[Inserted was a picture of all the bridesmaids standing with Mari in the middle, including her sister Sophie, her friend Elise, and a handful of other guests from Mari’s family]_

_Here come the bridesmaids! And some of Mari’s other beautiful friends._

_[Another picture included Pete smiling albeit a bit nervously as he faced the camera, with James flanking him, as Fred tried to photobomb the picture – with Tom standing behind him, unusually not charming the camera as he was seen fixing his tie]_

 

Vega found herself frowning all of a sudden upon seeing this picture.

Well it wasn’t really about Tom as you would think it would be, but she did get to crack a few jokes with the man when he arrived a bit late, claiming that he came from a business meeting. The guy basically _is_ Hollywood now, what else is there to expect from an A-Lister like him? She took a few hits from him, such as “I was expecting my sister to save me from the male strippers”, to which she shot back “believe me I was there”… and witty Tom just quickly turned the tables and said – “ _Why didn’t you tell me then?!_ ” She could say that she cut the banter short by saying, “Aw Thain, you’re not my keeper. Maybe next time.” She would say that she was laughing a bit, but she wasn’t able to see that glint of disappointment that flickered for a moment in Tom’s eyes…

She may have laughed this particular memory off, but what bothered her was about a little obscure detail – now that she looked at it, she saw in the picture that Pete looked upset.

Just when they were having tea and scones after the Wedding Rehearsal, after Tom had to run off again (despite the way he smiled at how the girls asked him to stay and how especially Vega actually shot back “You’re always running off somewhere!” much to the amusement of the girls) for another “meeting” (when Fred actually joked that he may be running off to a dinner date), she overheard from Lila how Mari was seemingly upset with Pete after finding out that there had been kinky business done at their Stag Night based on the gossip that came from James and Elise.

Pete keeps on insisting that it wasn’t him, and that he purposely stayed away from the dancers, but Mari just wouldn’t listen to him – insisting that she allowed him to have fun and have a Stag Party of his own, but it would have been comfortable if he didn’t sleep with one of the dancers as she has overheard. Little does Mari know that James was horribly drunk and Elise took it as a joke from Thomas J that _one of them_ fucked around with the dancers… And during the entire time while Pete was as the back of the room, trying to calm down his bride-to-be, Fred scooted over and crammed herself at the girls’ small party table, keeping completely quiet as he stuffed his face with Jammy Dodgers.

 _Fred might have probably known_ , Vega thought as she scanned through other random pictures she had posted on the website of her and the girls posing around stairs and statues around Dartmouth House where the Wedding would be held, and where they did the Rehearsals as well. _But seriously, that rehearsal was almost two days ago. The problem should have been fixed by now…_

She turned off her laptop and curled back into the bed, savoring how warm the blankets felt but suddenly she felt so empty and lonely without a warm body to snuggle with…

She just let her thoughts linger about that little upset face Mari made after her little “talk” with Pete as she was being comforted by Lila… For some reason, she swore she has seen that look of uncertainty and undaunted fear before…

Snorting as she burrowed deeper in the covers, she realized it was almost 4am, and she needs to get up around 6 to get dressed. _She’s gonna get married today. Maybe they have fixed that problem by now. They should have…_

 

***

 

Vega emerged from the lift and marched onto the lobby of the Dorchester, completely dressed up in that blood-red gown, accented by a gold belt, her feet in black and gold platform strappies that she literally drooled over when she saw it in the Aldo display window. Her short bob-styled hair that was usually left as it is looked different, having braided two strands from both sides of her face, and being drawn back around the head forming some sort of style arch around the crown of her head. Drawing her black trenchcoat around her shoulders as she approached the reception to leave a request concerning the room she sort of inherited from Gale, she suddenly found herself furrowing her brow at what the Receptionist had to say.

“With all due respect ma’am,” the brunette about her height started. “We do understand you’re occupying the room, but Mr. Hareton’s Firm had only booked it till tomorrow afternoon. Is there a possibility that you would checkout today or tomorrow? Or will you be keeping the room on your own terms?”

Nodding as she looked away deep in thought, Vega found herself automatically answering, “How soon am I expected to answer? I am not sure if I could get accommodations, but I will be staying in the City for a long while.”

“We need a reply and at least a deposit before the day ends, ma’am,” the Receptionist answered back.

Biting her lip and tasting her red lipstick, Vega took out her credit card and handed it to the Receptionist. “Here are my credit card details,” she answered quickly, slipping her small black purse under her armpit as she answered a small form. “I can make that deposit today just to have the room reserved for another week or so.”

Scanning her card and taking the short form, the Receptionist smiled as she handed the card back to the girl in the red gown and said, “Thank you for your patronage. We’ll have the room transferred to your name once the full payment is given. We hope you enjoy your stay at the Dorchester!”

Smiling sheepishly as her head rolled around in problems, Vega marched out to get a cab, as she realized that she really needs to find somewhere else to live in – instead of throwing all her savings in an expensive Hotel she can’t really keep.

It was just a quick drive before she found herself standing on the steps of the Dartmouth House once more.

Leaving her big black coat with one of the ushers, she went up those glorious marble-floored stairs covered with a red carpet for the occasion as she found herself nodding and smiling awkwardly at familiar faces, people whom she believed she had seen at the Wedding Rehearsal, some of Mari and Pete’s relatives who have recognized her, as they had refreshments in the Courtyard before heading to the ceremony room.

Reaching the Revelstroke Room, she found the doors being opened for her by two ushers in elegant tuxes, as she found herself coming face to face with a crowd she barely knew.

 _Okay_ , Vega thought nervously as most of the eyes in the room fell on her and the brilliantly red gown she was wearing, as most faces were unfamiliar or new, considering that Mari and Pete did invite a total of 60 people, or less. Looking at her watch, she wondered if she was too late for the Bridesmaid preparations, as she found herself standing reluctantly in a corner, looking for any of the girls also dressed in the same bright red. _I’m not late am I? Where are they…_

Bringing out her smart phone from her small black purse, she smiled back nervously at a young man in a wonderful black blazer and a dark blue bowtie who grinned back at her (after appraising her from head to toe, seemingly wanting to converse with her), she began to frantically text Max on their whereabouts, not really in the mood for small chitchat –

That’s when she heard the familiar laugh from almost across the hall.

Raising her head and completely ignoring the young man with that tuft of blonde hair who was probably from Pete’s side of the family, she tilted her head and found the source of that _snickering_ , standing just beside those big glass windows, laughing with James as they held a glass of white wine as they waited for the ceremony to start.

The young man beside her opened his mouth, but Vega had already moved out of his line of sight as she clutched her phone, crossing the hall filled with people she barely knew, as she made her way towards that one person she could recognize…

…and that same person slowly caught his breath after a hearty laugh, placing a hand on that beautifully tailored black tuxedo, a corsage already pinned to his left breast pocket, as his hair was conveniently fashioned in an almost natural style, showcasing those almost ginger curls that covered his head. Tom suddenly found himself unable to laugh further as he gawked at the sight making her way towards him, as Vega found herself smiling awkwardly in the presence of her old buddy and the groom’s brother, who almost choked on his drink after seeing the girl who never noticed how charming she looked with that cute braid and that deep red gown that almost had her stand out in the middle of the room.

“Good day, Madam,” Tom found himself stuttering in a gentlemanly tone, ignoring the way Vega tried to hide a snicker, completely taken aback by his formality. “Shouldn’t you be at the –“

“That’s what I was supposed to ask you,” Vega said, biting her lip, making Thomas notice how red her lipstick was, complimenting the gown she was wearing. “Hello James,” she said with a bright grin, her eyes almost disappearing with the way she smiled.

“Hello Miss Vega,” the groom’s brother and Best Man replied. “Glad to see you’re early!”

Twiddling with her phone and her purse, Vega made a nervous face and said, “I hope that I still am…”

Taking a huge sip of his white wine and leaving in conveniently on the windowsill, Tom held out his arm to the woman and said, “Let me take you there then.” He then turned to James and winked, “Won’t take me long, I’ll be back in time for the ceremony.” The groom’s brother nodded as he continued drinking from his glass, watching Vega anxiously shrug as she slipped a hand under Tom’s arm and allowed herself to be marched out back into the hall.

Vega was half thankful that she gained a few inches with the shoes she was wearing, since it was helping her keep up with Tom’s long strides, despite how slow he was going as they made their way down the stairs, leading her towards a back room.

They remained quiet the entire time, as they passed by some guests who recognized them, sending them a smile or a “Hello” as they passed by. Tom politely greeted them despite Vega doubting if he does know them, but she could only grin back bashfully, completely forgetting that she’s currently linked arms with a man whose face everyone may be familiar with.

“Red suits you a lot, Aeo,” he suddenly spoke up, by the time they were alone in a corridor, not frequented by guests.

Suddenly feeling comfortable in his presence despite the lack of communication and the small talk since Paule dela Merci’s party, Vega found herself bashfully saying a small, “Thanks.”

Approaching a double-doored room, he raised a hand and rapped on it with his knuckles, as she could hear voices and panicked discussion going on behind the walls. A soft shriek was heard in the room, and Vega found herself widening her eyes as she looked up at her 6’2” companion, who just shrugged cluelessly in reply to her expression as they heard footsteps going towards the door.

“Blue suits you better though,” Tom murmured under his breath, causing Vega to turn to him in surprise, just when the big knobs to the door made a loud _clunk!_

“What did you say?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Tom replied as he suddenly sported a giant grin on his face as a distressed-looking Lis who peeped from the small opening, suddenly sighed in relief as she recognized the two figures standing in front of her.

“Okay guys, stop panicking – it’s just Tom and Vega –“

“Let them in,” Lila’s voice was heard in the room, and it didn’t sound happy at all.

Unhooking her arm from Tom’s, Vega stepped in the room, holding her skirt as she surveyed the mess – corsages scattered on the floor, tissues everywhere, make-up and flowers (that were supposed to be pinned on the bridesmaid’s dresses) left lying in every corner – as they saw all the girls huddled around the bride, stunning in her beautiful white backless dress, accented with those beautiful long gloves that reached her elbows… as she lay hunched and teary-eyed on a sofa, trying to be consoled by an exasperated looking bridesmaid.

“What happened?!” Vega exclaimed hurrying over towards Mari, as Tom looked on with the same degree of unease, before closing the door behind him.

Exchanging worried glances with Lis who hugged herself and an exasperated looking Max sitting right across Mari, seeming as if she didn’t want anything to do with the drama; Tom looked straight at Lila and said, “You do know that we are supposed to start in thirty minutes.”

Lila, who was holding a shaking Mari, nodded exasperatedly at him and said, “We know… But Mari would only stay put. Would you guys at least give her that?”

The only man in the room sighed and said, “Pete’s upset too, sweetheart.” There was a glint of sadness in his eyes. “Just so you would know.”

“Oh that’s a relief,” Mari shot back all of a sudden, her tone harsh. “He started all of this anyway. It would be much better if he just called this entire thing off –“

Tom and Vega suddenly exchanged worried glances upon hearing the bride’s words, with her visage reeking with uncertainty and fear, her makeup smeared as she was hunched over, holding herself; only allowing her Maid of Honor to hold her, as the girls surrounded her with much empathy in an attempt to calm her down.

Vega found herself dropping to her knees as she looked the bride in the eyes. Looking over to the redhead, seemingly asking for permission, she placed her hands in front of her knees as she looked the bride in the eyes, trying to find the root of all this hate. Everyone knows that Mari is just having the jitters, Vega (probably just like the others) did not expect that she’d drag this kind of uncertainty all up to her wedding day. Somehow, this broke her heart.

“Come on Mari,” Vega whispered, as she worriedly glanced up at the girl’s blue eyes. “Don’t say that about Peter –“

“You don’t know him, Vega!” the bride hissed, completely startling the smaller brunette girl. “He’s not as saintly as that fiancé of yours –“

Vega didn’t see it, but Tom actually raised an eyebrow upon hearing what the bride had to say. The woman in question on the other hand blinked and parted her lips, seemingly unimpressed as she continued to listen to Mari tattle on about how she believed that she and her husband-to-be seemed incompatible.

“— I should have listened to Dadda,” Mari sobbed now, holding the train of her dress, seemingly looking crushed. “He was of another league and he only saw me as a trophy wife. He would never take me seriously, he’d always be caught up in business or his women – I should have known – and would never take me as the woman who is about to become his wife!” Her voice shook as all her fears basically spilled out to the plate… “I fear for my future, my family… my children…”

It was fortunate that she was standing behind the bride, as Lis found herself palming her face in frustration. Sam, who was holding Mari’s shoulder exchanged worried looks with the Maid of Honor; while Vega found herself jerking her jaw to the left, a sign of frustration that she seemingly have inherited from Tom, who was almost doing the same expression as he stood in front of the scene.

Taking a deep breath, the bridesmaid who arrived late, and was on her knees took the bride’s hand, albeit the fact that Mari tried to snatch it away.

“Marianne,” Vega whispered as she ran her thumb on the back of her friend’s hand as she tried to find the words to say. “Pete loves you. Very much…”

Tears brimming down her eyes, Mari tore her eyes from Vega’s as she looked down and shrunk in Lila’s arms, seemingly shying away, disagreeing with what her friend had to say. Unable to finish and slowly losing ground and momentum with how closed Mari’s mind seemed to be with the situation… Vega found her shoulders slump as she continued to hold on to the bride’s hand… seemingly at a loss of what to say…

Vega would say that she saw the problem two days before when she spotted the unhappy faces of her friends in the pictures, but she was unprepared to help deal with it. Seeing the defeated looks on the other girls’ faces, she knew that they tried what she was attempting to do as well… but now it seemed like they have exhausted their own advices and were seemingly looking forward to the two newcomers to convince the bride to come out and take her vows as she has planned.

But as a sigh escaped Vega’s lips… the girls thought she was out of ideas too. Eyes frantic and helpless, Lila looked over to Vega… and then to the man standing behind her, as she mouthed a desperate “ _Please.”_

As Vega sank back into her head, trying to think of a good argument… that was when she heard Tom speak behind her.

“Mari,” he said as he knelt on one knee beside Vega, as he reached out to Mari’s other hand. “You have to believe us when we say that Peter loves you. Have you seen the way he looks at you? Trust me, he wouldn’t look that way at anyone else. As early as I met him, a year ago when we all first saw each other – I knew he had this love only reserved for someone like you. * _Kismet_ , I would say.”

A few of the girls probably frowned in confusion at the obscure words that came out of Thomas’s vocabulary, but he continued speaking for he did notice that the bride was actually listening to him.

“There is a man who loves you,” Tom continued, his passion obviously oozing through his speech. “And he’s waiting in front of the altar to marry you and love you for all of his days. Won’t you come heed his call, Marianne?”

Vega actually blinked and turned to her best friend, lips still parted as those chocolate eyes clearly reflected admiration and the fact that she was impressed.

Tom didn’t turn to face her, but he continued smiling, hoping that Mari would stop sobbing and open up. To his relief, the bride did take his hand, seemingly moved by what he had to say… but she dropped her eyes after that contact, and didn’t say anything as the sniffles started again.

You would see how some sort of disappointment went through the other girls, as Lis and Sam sank their shoulders in unison, at a loss on what to do when they seemed to have considered Tom and Vega’s appearance in the dressing room as their last resort.

The man ended up bowing his head realizing that maybe Mari needed a bit more push, that he ended up exchanging glances with the girl beside him, also on her knees, lips parted as if she had something to say to him…

“What Tom said is true,” Vega suddenly spoke up as she turned to face the bride. “You have always loved Pete. Even if you didn’t have to say it… we all knew it was clearly there. Have you seen the way you blushed when we asked you about him when we had that London trip last year? Oh Mari, you wouldn’t stop talking about him. You had nothing bad to say about him… Have you seen the way you were so excited when you planned for your wedding? That was the Mari we knew, that was the real Mari… The Mari who truly loved her Pete…”

The bride has finally stopped sobbing, as she turned to face Vega. “This Mari… this is just the jitters speaking,” the bridesmaid continued. “This isn’t the real you. The real you belongs on that altar, outside, taking her vows with the man she loves. Two heads are better than one, love.”

“But he cheated on me –“

“Did you really see him with the strippers?” Vega started. “It was a rumor, and you have at least 85% of the men to back him up for it.”

“How can you be so sure –“

Tom closed his eyes and sighed, as he let go of Mari’s hand to smooth the hair on the back of his head. “It’s because the men they were referring to who ‘went kinky’ with the dancers was just me…” he said, clutching his hands into fists, confessing. Most of the girls gasped, and Vega actually turned to him – a bit disgusted – as she raised an eyebrow. “I would name another person, but it’s not for me to say it. Trust me Marianne, _it wasn’t Pete_.”

Somehow, this calmed Mari down.

“You see,” Vega said, indignantly as she patted the bride’s hand. “As Tom has said earlier – Pete has completely reserved himself for you. He wouldn’t be one to play with your feelings and sexually manipulate the situation as if he was a jilted lover –“

By this time, it was Tom who was widening his eyes as he turned to Vega whose words suddenly became a litany of bitterness, her wit sharp enough to cut through _someone’s skin_ as the anger suddenly started to sound so familiar…

“At least he wouldn’t be a man who would physically and emotionally hurt you, manipulate you, or control you. He is faithful enough, and that is enough reason for you to stay with him. Pete is a good man, Mari. He is _a good match_.”

By this time, the bride has started to nod to the woman’s words as she took her free hand to wipe the tears away from her eyes.

Grateful that they knocked some sense into the bride-to-be, her Maid of Honor kissed Mari on the head, on top of her veil and hugged her, as she started to make sense of things. “I know,” the bride said. “I know… I’m just afraid…”

“Oh Mari,” Lila started. “There is no reason to be afraid. No need to fear the future, or what there is to come. It’s your wedding day! It is the day when you start a-new, a new life with the man you love! And nothing – I repeat – _nothing can stand in your way._ ”

This suddenly caused a smile to spread on Lila’s face… as the tears she was shedding suddenly wasn’t of anxiety… but of realization. The other girls started to smile as well, realizing that they made it – and the crisis was about to be averted. Tom smiled to himself as well, having been an agent of this miracle, as his best friend beside him let out a soft sigh of relief.

Lila pressed her head against Mari’s as the two best buddies shared a moment. “ ** _There is no glory in being a coward,_** ” the redhead whispered. “And you shouldn’t be one, **_since you are in love_.** _”_

As the other girls reveled in this wise quote that was originally just Lila’s, Vega suddenly looked at the two friends as the saying suddenly sank in her head like an anchor… reminding her of her own cowardice in the past. Of her fear in moving forward, of her fear of taking the first step, of her fear of falling in love –

As sunlight suddenly seemed to have dawned in Mari’s conscience and resolve, a new dark cloud seemed to have hovered over Vega’s. For some reason, after Lila’s speech – she found herself absent-mindedly looking in Tom’s direction, as she watched her good friend smile, inspired by his friend’s words and wisdom. But there was something else in Vega’s eyes that seemed to infiltrate her, poison her, and fill her to the core --

 _I am not a coward,_ Vega thought as she got up from her knees, as the room was filled with excited noises as Mari announced that “The Show Must Go On” and she needed to have her make-up retouched. _I have made my choice and it is Sebastian Gale…_

But as she watched the tall man whom she was kneeling with earlier stand up to his full height as he backed off into a wall to give space to the women as he amusingly watch them scuttle about, as if a whole new fear opened up in Vega’s mind… and Mari’s anxiety was transferred on to her.

_Or am I really just another useless coward?_

 

***

 

You could say that it was a wonderful wedding.

 

Of course during the entourage, Lila and Mari insisted that the girls wouldn’t be paired up with each other… especially the couples (well there only two people at first) whom they wanted to end up together.

So Vega found herself marching down the aisle with that awkward looking blonde-young man who tried talking to her earlier that day – who turns out to be Pete’s younger cousin on his mother’s side.

Tom on the other hand was paired with one of Pete’s associates in his firm, a woman who was probably just four years younger than him named Beatrice Cohen-Wright, who was a full-fledged Londoner… despite that bit of Chinese blood that could be seen through her complexion and her eyes that she claimed came from her Great-Great Grandmother on her father’s side.

 

When it was the bride’s turn to walk down the aisle, with her make-up retouched, this time you could say that Mari was glowing. She held her onto her father’s arm as her groom waited on the other side, tears almost brimming in his eyes as well, as he watched the woman whom he has loved for so long finally out of her shell, and was coming towards him to fulfill her promise.

 

There was not even one pair of eyes dry when Pete and Mari said their personalized vows, as you could clearly see each girl breaking down in front of the altar, with Lis subtly passing a pack of tissues to every girl who couldn’t hold it in any longer. Max swore she didn’t cry, but once the vows were over, she literally stole the pack from Lis and was dabbing wildly at her eyes – to a point that she actually wiped off her eyeliner and mascara in the process.

 

Vega on the other hand had her own version of a happy breakdown, albeit it was a different one. She wasn’t crying like the other girls, or shedding any tears of happiness. Instead, she stared into space as she listened to that wonderful exchange of vows her friend and her husband recited in front of their audience of loved ones, friends, and well-wishers…

 

…as Lila’s speech about love and cowardice still rang in her head, knocking at her conscience.

 

Vega knew she had made a thousand mistakes in the past… and some of them she wouldn’t even admit to herself. She knew she made some choices, and some of them changed her life, the path she had taken… and definitely changed relationships for good. But as she thought about them, suddenly she became uncertain whether she made these choices in confidence, or made them out of fear? The meaning of cowardice started to haunt her, as she knew she has always been one… Scared of horror movies, scared of ghosts… scared of authority or anyone who tried to impose it on her. But fear of love? Is that what she was?

 

 _But what if it wasn’t about fear, what if it was just about making sure of things?_ She thought, as she continued standing there in person for Mari and Pete… but not there in heart and soul. _Could I still be considered a scaredy-cat?_

_Have I been nothing but a coward all my life?_

 

By the time Mari and Pete have worn their rings on each other, Vega snapped out of her stupor… to find one of the groom’s men looking at her. She couldn’t deny that her cheeks suddenly heated up upon finding out that Tom caught her spacing out again, not paying attention to the ceremony at all.

 

But this was one of the few times Vega would say that she was brave… as she exchanged glances with the man as they stood far away from each other, on the opposite sides of the altar. Unconsciously putting her bravery to the test, Vega coolly looked back at his blue eyes, seemingly trying to figure out what the man was thinking, what was he trying to say, and if he was trying to hack in her mind and figure out what she was thinking about… as a part of Vega felt guilty that it had to be Tom to catch her off her guard.

 

To her surprise, he just smiled… making her realize that maybe he was just urging her to do the same as well… since to be honest, Vega was the only one not filled with joy and tears, standing in front of the altar. If anyone were deranged enough, they would have probably thought that she was Pete’s jilted lover and was plotting to stop the wedding…

 

Pushing the ridiculous thoughts out of her mind, she found herself looking away from the bright smile plastered on Tom’s face, as she found herself doing the same expression as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Kismet, “destiny, fate”. When you encounter something by chance that seems like it was meant to be, then it could be kismet , your destiny.


	13. The Wedding Hustle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was a wonderful wedding, and of course, in true Mercenary style... organized and happy chaos occurs in the middle of the reception. And that includes dancing.

“I haven’t cried that hard ever since I watched ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’…” sighed Lis as she gratefully received a tissue from Vega, dabbing it on her eyes, hoping it wouldn’t destroy her makeup.

Vega walked beside her as she held that pack of tissues that she had to wrestle out of Max’s hands as they made their way towards the Reception Area, after having a few drinks in the Courtyard. They have probably chatted with a few guests and let Mari run off with her Maid of Honor and her sister to have a little retouch in the loo.

“It is a beautiful wedding, I’d say,” Vega said, a bit of a dreamy look in her eye. She did already recover from that melancholy psychological bout she had with herself earlier, since she did space out a lot during the entire duration of the ceremony. “I’m just glad we averted that disaster.”

“Thanks to you,” Lis said, a bit sniffly. “…and Tom of course. We could say that we were kind of running out of options…”

The smaller girl chuckled as they found themselves crowding in front of the Churchill Room doors, watching the guests filling in. “Honestly, I wasn’t the wisest person to look to for advice, though…”

Lis snorted and said, “You think Tom’s the best person for this as well? After what he did?” She made a face that clearly meant discomfort, and Vega felt like chuckling ironically at that fact that the man whom they all held in high regard just admitted that he just boned the belly dancer. Well if it snapped Mari out of her pre-wedding jitters, it will do for Vega.

“But hey!” Lis said, slightly swatting her friend on the arm. “You would say that your advice did work, isn’t it? Mari’s married, Pete’s happy, everyone’s blissful, and the story is going to end well!”

“You could say so…”

They decided to enter the huge reception hall the moment Mari reappeared and took her husband by the arm, as they were cheered on by everyone else as they made their way towards the long table at the end of the hall, overseen by the entirety of the guest list.

By the time everything has settled down, the two girls in red suddenly turned towards one of the bridesmaids wearing the same shade, waving her hands up in the air as she tried to get their attention. Lis waved back, making Vega realize that it was Samantha – who was sitting beside Alexa (and her non-plussed twin brother, who looked pretty much overwhelmed by anything as ever) who couldn’t come during the ceremony.

“Gotta go,” Lis said, gathering her skirt. “You’ll be alright, Aeo?”

The smaller girl bit her lip as she looked around, trying to remember the details of the seating plan Mari showed them a few days ago, as she was not paying attention since she was busy texting Topher and Carrie on her phone. “If only I can find where I’m supposed to sit –“ she said hopelessly as she scanned the tables, looking for even a sign of her name on a paper stand…

“I’ll give you a clue: Look for the tallest dumb blonde with curly hair, and look at the spare space beside him,” Lis said, grinning suggestively at Vega.

Swerving her head around, she found herself raising an eyebrow at Lis upon finding that the only space left for her to sit on after all the guests have settled, was just right across Tom, who was busy entertaining two of Peter’s pretty cousins with his impressions, with Max and Fred typically bantering just right across him.

Liz snickered as she turned around to join Sam and Alex on their table, and Vega found herself sauntering towards her designated seat, suddenly flashing a smile decent enough to hide her discomfort when Max turned around and called her over.

It was a wonderful meal, considering that Vega did somewhat skip breakfast as she was in a hurry to get to the ceremony. As she chatted with Lorraine, one of Pete’s cousins who was taking up her major in the arts, she quietly savored that pan fried sea bass (that kept Max rambling about how juicy it was) as she discussed various exhibits she has been in or attended when she was back in University and that time she took a Post-Grad semester back in Melbourne.

Sooner or later it was almost time for desert, and the Wedding Band started playing Frank Sinatra for the bride’s dance with her father.

Once again, the girls found themselves in happy tears… as the ever-so-busy sister of the bride and the Maid of Honor started running around taking pictures using their iPhones as they ran alongside the official wedding photographer. You could see Pete looking on with so much fondness in his eyes and he would have been man enough to admit later on that he was brimming with tears.

“You know,” Vega whispered to Max as they watched Mari smiling with her beloved Dadda, as the father and daughter tandem danced around the hall, with everyone’s eyes focused on them. “I’d like to have a happy ending just like this.”

“Hm?” Max asked, completely entranced by the scene and the dessert she was eating. “What’s that?”

“Like this,” Vega tried to speak over the music and the people reacting adorably to the fact that the groom had finally gotten up from his seat to pat his father-in-law on the shoulder so he could be able to take his wife in his arms for their own dance, as the band transitioned to play the song “Look at Me” by Carrie Underwood.

“Weddings aren’t perfect you know,” Vega spoke as she looked around to see the other girls being emotionally taken away by the scene and that sweet, sweet song. “You get a little bit of a scuffle and uncertainty at first…”

Max turned to look at Vega after taking in a spoonful of torte in her mouth. “But then love overcomes all.” Vega smiles, a bit of blush reddening her cheeks, as she completely ignored Fred and Tom whispering to each other from across the table. “Wouldn’t you want to have that kind of happy ending?”

“I don’t plan on getting married soon, Vega,” Max said flatly.

Her best friend shook her head laughing, knowing how Max often struggled to deal with romantic or cheesy, often coming out brash and tough… often appearing offensive to romantics and dreamers. But Vega knows this kind of act, and she has been like this before… before she got back with Gale.

“To think about it, you are,” the girl beside her spoke, before taking another spoonful of the sweet torte. “But I don’t think that’s the happy ending you’re looking for.”

Raising an eyebrow while scoffing, the bridesmaid who is soon to become a bride shot back, “What are you saying?”

Taking a gulp of her wine, Max’s hazel eyes just darted in the direction of the blonde sitting right across them, before taking the napkin off her lap and leaving it on her seat.

“I’m off to the little girl’s room,” was the last thing Max said when she walked off, leaving Vega with that slightly confused face.

By then Pete and Mari were done dancing, and Vega was in the middle of filling herself with wine trying to decipher what the hell Max was trying to say, when she swore she can hear Michael Bublé playing through the speaker systems.

Removing the table napkin from his lap, Tom conveniently set it aside and stood up.

As subtly as they could, Vega and the two girls beside her slowly turned their heads to follow his movements as he walked from the table (and past other people standing up, making their way towards the dance floor) and approached the brown-haired woman clad in red, chatting with her close friend, sitting just a table away –

“Lisbeth,” he exclaimed as he placed a hand on her arm, causing the girl to turn to the actor who looked more dashing than ever in that tuxedo. “May I have this dance?”

Lis told the girls later that night that “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” was her new favorite song.

 

_It cries (Like a baby)_

_In a cradle all night_

_It swings, it jives_

_It shakes all over like a jelly fish,_

_I kinda like it_

_Crazy little thing called love_

 

Vega almost choked on her wine when she saw how Tom can definitely boogie. In a flash, it was no longer a dancefloor, but almost a dance showdown – with only Tom and Lis in the middle. Vega almost completely forgot about her torte, as she had to raise her head (along with Pete’s cousins Lorraine and Giselle, who were almost literally squealing along with every other girl crowded on the dancefloor) just to get a good look on what’s going on.

 

_There goes my baby_

_She knows how to Rock n' roll_

_She drives me crazy_

_She gives me hot and cold fever_

_Then she leaves me in a cool cool sweat_

 

To make things even more heated up – Tom actually took turns in dancing with _every girl_ in their clique. At first he had Lis twirling around in his arms… Then he suddenly took Sam who was giggling like a school girl as he swirled her around the dancefloor to the beat of the song… Next thing he was dancing with both the bride and the bridesmaid! (But of course he did the dip for the bride, with Lila right beside them, squealing on top of her lungs along with everyone else.)

Vega suddenly had a feeling that maybe Tom had Mari or Pete tip off the Wedding Band since they decided to extend the instrumental segment of the song (made famous by Queen) just so they can buy the man more time to dance with _every girl_ that he considered his sister. She saw the girls urge Alexa to have a few spins around with Thain, before they literally dragged Max (who just arrived from the loo) in the middle of the fracas, as Tom burst into a big smile as he swept the shocked looking bridesmaid… who happened to be quite a challenge for his dancing prowess, considering that Maxine was part of a Dance Troupe in Senior High before she decided to give it all up for her dreams of world domination. Or something like that.

 

_I gotta be cool, relax, get hip_

_And get on my track's_

_Take a back seat, hitch-hike_

_And take a long ride on my motorbike_

_Until I'm ready!_

_Crazy little thing called love!_

 

Vega found herself slowly turning her head to face Fred, who looked unusually serious as he watched the ensuing fracas, running his thumb’s fingernail against his teeth… only to find him chuckling to himself when Max went freestyle, completely catching taking Tom off-guard when she bumped him with her hip, almost pushing him off the dance floor.

But nothing prepared Vega when Max spun out of Tom’s arm and suddenly skidded in the middle of the dance floor to smile at _her…_ still sitting on their table, her torte untouched, looking quite perturbed as she noticed all the grins pointed at her direction…

…when the Wedding Band finally finished the song.

She was so relieved that nobody saw her roll her eyes and let out a huge sigh as the guests and everyone involved in Tom’s little dance party raised their hands and clapped, as each of the girls delivered a curtsey to their shared dance partner, while the thespian known for his candid tricks and circus bear performances bowed low with both his hands clasped, delivered like a true theatre actor.

Vega found herself applauding as well, but for some reason she found her smile slowly disappearing when she saw the crowd disperse, only to find Tom standing in the middle… with his eyes fixed on her.

To make things worse, the band started playing a slow song.

 

_Do you hear me, I'm talking to you_

_Across the water across the deep blue ocean_

_Under the open sky_

_Oh my, baby I'm trying_

 

She found herself closing her eyes, unable to hide the exasperation. By the time she opened them, she found Tom walking towards her with his arms outstretched, with his smile being enough to serve as his invitation for her to dance with him.

Vega found herself looking around to find other couples filling in the dance floor, and it was Mari and Pete who led them in the romantic gesture, as they stood at the center without a care in the world as two lovers should be, dancing with their arms entangled amongst each other’s embrace.

 

_Lucky I'm in love with my best friend_

_Lucky to have been where I have been_

_Lucky to be coming home again_

 

“Come on Aeo,” Tom’s voice suddenly caused Vega to turn around and face him. “For old time’s sakes.”

Despite how everything felt orchestrated and uncomfortable, Vega suddenly felt a smile crease upon her face as she answered him back with a small laugh, before a confused-looking Tom raised his eyebrow when Vega patted the empty seat beside her.

“Just take a seat beside me,” she said, her smile so natural and definitely filled with fondness… an expression she barely showed Tom during the short time they were together. “You look tired.”

Better than a rejection, Tom found himself running a hand at the back of his head as he moved to sit beside the woman, when they just ended up exchanging awkward glances and small uneasy smiles at each other… making Tom think that he would feel better about the situation if she chose to dance with him instead.

 

_They don't know how long it takes_

_Waiting for a love like this_

_Every time we say goodbye_

_I wish we had one more kiss_

_I'll wait for you, I promise you, I will_

 

But the more they listened to the song, the more awkward their silence stretched out.

“That was a bloody brilliant wedding, don’t you think?” Tom suddenly spurted out, making him look less of the literate and verbose man he usually was in front of the cameras, being bugged repeatedly by the reporters with the same set of questions no matter where he goes. “But I don’t think anything can amount to the joy Mari and Pete are having right now…”

Vega was glad he wasn’t looking at her, because she was biting her lip now and shaking her head as she tried hard not to laugh, being a direct witness to Tom’s loss of words. Despite how awkward the situation has become, she realized that the primary tension she feared of and regretted was gone… and they were somewhat back to the old friends who were just merely not used to each other’s presence… like the time they drank coffee after hauling a drunk Fred to his apartment.

“You really are quite the dancer, aren’t you?” Vega said breaking the silence, adding a bit of a chuckle here and there, as a small smile appeared on Tom’s lips as he leaned back on his chair.

“You should have seen me in Seoul,” he said wincing, those adorable wrinkles forming on his nose bridge. “I looked preposterous.”

“Well,” Vega said, crossing her arms. “I think your fans disagree with that notion… considering that I can barely hear the music with just the wild screams of teenagers and possessed females filling the air waves.”

Smiling slyly, Tom said, “So you were watching my videos.”

Vega rolled her eyes and said, “My officemates won’t stop harping about ‘How Loki Were Charming The Asians’, they literally sat me in front of the monitor.” Despite her grumbling, she was relieved that Tom ended laughing out loud.

As his snickering subsided, Vega found herself looking at him… noticing how she barely saw him fully suited up like this, with a corsage on his lapel, his hair seemingly more natural than filled with product, and wearing not even a tinge of make-up as he usually does during public events. He looked so relaxed and so natural, he became less of the eyesore Vega tried avoiding for the past year and a half.

“You know,” she started, sighing. “You should dance at my Wedding.”

Tom looked at her, his mouth half a smile and a smirk. “Does that serve as an official invitation?”

Crossing her arms, the girl parted her lips and glared at him. “What, did you think I won’t invite you? Come on Tom…”

He smiled devilishly and mimicked her posture, saying, “Oh you better be careful with what you’re planning woman,” He licked his lips. “I am going to outdance every male in your reception, and that includes your husband-to-be.”

“Is that a challenge?” Vega sneered back playfully, leaning towards him.

“That can be arranged,” Tom shot back in a tone similar to what the God of Mischief would use.

For a moment it looked as if they were in their natural playing fields again – Tom taunting Vega to pull the trigger during Laser Tag, Vega threatening to rouse and get Fred drunk, Tom daring Vega to watch a horror flick… Suddenly they were like two old pals calling out the shots and trying to outdo each other in competition every single time… Going head to head as Vega found her courage and her strength to go up against this man who made her uncomfortable and guilty in so many ways possible…

It was Tom who had to break from the glare, as he burst out laughing.

Vega found herself smiling as well as she closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands, slightly embarrassed for having pulled off that stint.

Suddenly, everything was alright.

Suddenly, she realized that she finally got it right – and they were that kind of friends again.

 

 

***

 

 

Disengaging from Pete’s embrace as she gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek, Mari hurried over towards her Maid of Honor who was trying to get her attention during the entire time.

“What is it?” Mari said in a hushed tone, as a hyperventilating Lila quickly drew back the bride’s veil to whisper in her ear… as both emerged from their hushed conversation to look in the same direction – where Tom and Vega were seated in an almost empty table, sharing the same gestures as the bride and the Maid of Honor, whispering in each other’s ear… before pausing to cover their mouths as they giggled, looking at certain people across the ballroom or on the dance floor.

Despite this shared interaction, both girls raised their eyebrows on how Tom would easily swerve his head in the direction of a full-bodied woman in a gown whenever they would pass by… and how Vega would tuck back her hair or trace her braids, and end up playing with the huge black opal ring on her finger while she’s talking to him.

That particular moment while his seatmate was taking a piece of her torte, Tom turned around to look at a table across… looking subtly at another girl wearing a thick frame of spectacles as she talked with her officemates, the same girl whom he marched with down the aisle during the entourage.

“Who’s that girl again?” Lila whispered to Mari, who squinted her eyes to get a better look.

“I’m not sure,” said Mari, as she held on to Lila’s arm. “But I think that’s Bea Wright, one of Pete’s old friends from College. I think she works in the same firm as he does.”

“Oh,” Lila said, waggling her eyebrows.

Suddenly, Tom turned to the girl sitting beside him, slowly drinking her wine, before he leaned in and whispered something in her ear… causing the girl to almost choke on her drink, as she swatted him on the shoulder as she placed down her glass. Delighted with her reaction, Tom was bent over laughing as his best friend sat beside him, shaking her head disbelievingly, even if she had that smile plastered on her face.

“Well isn’t that such a sight,” Lila said, sighing.

“The boy who’s always in love,” Mari said softly as she looked at her two friends sharing a moment at the table, without knowing how intimate it made them look. “And the girl who finally fell in love…”

That exact moment, a little boy in a beautiful suit started chasing a girl about his age past Tom and Vega’s table, catching the eye of the two friends. Somehow getting his hands on his mother’s lipstick, he had smeared it on his mouth and was threatening the girl with kisses, while the pretty blonde little girl in the lacy white dress tried to push him away as she screamed “cooties!”

Amused with the scene, Lila and Mari then turned to look at the famous thespian and his journalist best friend who were watching the entire fracas as well. To their surprise, Vega tried to stifle her laughter by unconsciously grabbing Tom’s arm, as she watched the little girl fell on her knees, pushing the boy away. They were literally beside themselves giggling when the boy successfully planted a kiss on the girl’s cheek.

“Oh how I wished another ending for those two,” Lila said, watching the scene with much bitterness.

“Come on now, Lilian,” Mari exclaimed, placing a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “We should respect Thain and Aeoren’s decision…”

The bride then turned to the two who were now swapping stories like two eager friends who have been separated ever since they last saw each other in Summer Camp.

“If this is the order of things, then this is how things will be,” Mari said, a bit of sadness in her voice. “Thain and Aeo will be fine.”

 

 

***

 

As the free-for-all dancing began, Tom found himself being hauled out of his seat by Lis, Mari, and Lila, the three girls asking him for another dance showdown.

Vega found herself pushing her best friend off his seat, as Tom subtly shot the smaller girl a “Help Me” expression that she completely ignores.

Laughing, Fred found himself taking his friend’s place beside Vega, as they both watched their friends slowly crowding the dancefloor, with all of them putting aside their prior formal dancing knowledge and just started dropping it and owning the place with their different dance moves, with Tom leading the whole lot.

Vega suddenly found herself stifling a giggle as she watched the girls squealing at how Tom started busting the same moves he used in that one talk show he had been in a few years ago.

“Shouldn’t you be dancing there too?” Fred suddenly spoke up, slinging an arm over the empty chairs beside him, considering that Pete’s two lovely cousins have also joined their other relatives and newfound friends on the dance floor.

The bridesmaid sitting beside him shook her head, smiling. “I’m not really wearing my dancing shoes,” Vega answered.

Snorting, Fred didn’t seem to be impressed with her answer.

“Shouldn’t you be out dancing there as well?” Vega threw the question back to a friend she barely spoke to. Well at least, in ways like this. “Who knows, Max may want to dance with you.”

“Please,” Fred huffed, as he slouched in his chair, almost sitting in the same whorish way Thomas always does, despite looking equally dashing in his own tuxedo. “That woman who can’t even be called a lady will just stub me with her toes.”

Slightly snickering, Vega shook her head, hearing that kind of retort from Fred first hand.

“Laugh all you want, Aeoren,” Fred said coolly. “But you’re no different from Max stepping on other men’s toes.”

It felt so weird, receiving a slightly tainted insult from Fred that she ended up raising her eyebrow when she looked at him. But with the way she noticed how serious he was, that angled jaw clenched, and his green eyes lacking luster or empathy, a shiver went through Vega’s spine when she realized that Fred didn’t look very pleased.

“What are you trying to say –“

“I know what happened in Melbourne, Vega,” he spoke up, not beating around the bush.

Eyes widening, she quickly opened her mouth as she clenched her hands together. “Look Fred, I can explain –“

Suddenly a small rumbling laughter erupted from the Scotsman’s belly as he was bent over chuckling, with a very displeased Vega found herself grabbing her table napkin and hitting him lightly on the leg, causing Fred to go “Ow! You do have no respect for men!”

“Who are you to say that?!” Vega shot back bitterly, although she meant it as some joke.

“Yeah,” Fred said, calming down. “You’re right. I have no place or business to say anything about the affairs of others or what transpired in events when I’m not involved.” He looked at the woman and smiled, “Rest assured that Tom didn’t tell me anything. I know Melbourne, I know something happened, I know the distance and the years in between… but that’s all.”

Taking a deep breath, Vega crossed her arms and leaned back on her chair, somewhat relieved that whatever happened at the Eureka Tower and whatever should have transpired at the Melbourne Airport remains between her and Tom. But she cannot deny that she feels so unsettled that everyone is aware of the rift between her and the man which she has been trying to mend.

Returning the smile just to somewhat comfort and give Fred a bit of reassurance that everything is fine with her, the two remained quiet as they continued watching the girls dancing with their respective partners, most of them new male friends they have made during the reception… while they found Tom safely dancing with a giddy-looking Lis as they casually chatted in the middle of the dance floor… no romantic innuendos involved, much to their surprise.

To her surprise, Fred spoke up again, a bit of seriousness in his voice.

“You have to be worried at least,” his voice soft enough only for Vega to hear. “Tom hasn’t been the same since then. In fact, he has changed _a lot_.”        

The girl beside him remained silent, as her arms remained crossed. She watched Tom slow dancing with her friend and remembered how he successfully managed to ensnare Lis without even lifting a finger a year ago, back in that pub at Cornwall. Of course we all know this little flirting was short lived, but here it is again… although you can look at the two and say that there really wasn’t anything serious going on.

“Screwed and shagged that belly dancer hard, huh?” Fred felt his ears burn as he winced when Vega spoke up. “That isn’t much of a change.”

Scratching his head, he turned to look at the bridesmaid who had her arms still crossed as she sat on that little corner of the ballroom, a bit of a sneer forming on the side of her face. But if Fred was not mistaken, he saw that hurt little girl who walked out of the restaurant that one time when Tom was talking about his sexual conquest a year ago…

“You can’t blame him,” Fred said, sighing. “He is a healthy man who needs a good fuck now and then.”

Tilting her head in disgust, Vega just emitted a little laugh that was supposed to conceal her distaste of the situation. “That’s what I don’t get with men – Just out for a good fuck, eh?” she snorted. “Why won’t he get a girlfriend?” she reasoned out, looking at Fred. “He’s a fine man, I heard he’s been dating – was that a Theatre Actress?”

“They never even got past one week,” Fred cut her short.

Setting in a slow whistle as she watched the friend they were gossiping about around the dance floor, giggling with the bride and her husband, with one of their friends still in his arms as they conveniently waltzed around to the beat of the slow music. “He seriously needs one,” Vega said blindly. “A steady fling, I mean.”

“It’s not that easy really,” Fred said exasperatedly as he grabbed one of the unfinished tortes on the table and starts digging in. “I don’t think he’s really keen on going steady.”

“That’s a shame” Vega sighed. “And to think that he _is_ the romantic type, if I am not mistaken… At least he could have one serious relationship with one woman he can love and can give him the love he needs right back… And then he can enjoy a good fuck later.”

“You don’t understand men, Aeo,” Fred said as-a-matter-of-factly. “He needs to fuck to get it out of his system.”

Making a face, she looked at her friend disbelievingly as he slipped in another spoon of the dessert in his mouth. “I don’t think he wants to get emotionally attached nor he wants to have that one serious relationship in his life, considering that… pretty much he’s got a lot going on, and his life is basically in a suitcase. But a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do… And when you’re that _distracted_ , he knows he can’t settle for just one good fuck. You get what I mean?”

Vega shook her head. “I guess I don’t…” She looked sadly at Tom, thankful that her friend couldn’t see her face right now. “I don’t get it since pretty much I am in love…”

Fred’s suddenly was laughing beside her, shaking his head. “Oh Thomas was in love alright,” he exclaimed as he wiped his mouth off with his table napkin. “ _And then he got broken_.”

The bridesmaid beside him suddenly blinked, some sort of realization dawned in her eyes as she turned to her sarcastic seatmate who was seemingly basking in the mirth of her recent realization.

“Someone broke Tom, Vega. Like a wind-up toy. _He’s broken._ ” The tall Scotsman took a sip of his wine and stood up, patting his unresponsive friend on the arm, as Vega glared blankly at the empty table before her, devoid of people and just covered with utensils and unfinished food. But of course set in a fashionable manner.

“Think about that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist includes: "Crazy Thing Called Love" by Michael Buble, “Look at Me” by Carrie Underwood, and "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. (Funny how the last song was SO APPROPRIATE with that scene. Imagine Tom and Vega casually conversing, slowly getting used to each other again without the bitter tension... and "Lucky" is playing in the background. THE FEELS.)


	14. Matrimony Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bride has to throw the bouquet, and the groom has to throw the garter. What matters now is who would be catching it.

“Alright ladies, gather round!”

 

The bride, in that wonderful flowing gown that completely accentuated those gorgeous curves Mari has been trying to humbly hide for the past few years, stood in front of the gathering group of single women… as she held a coveted item in her hands – the wedding bouquet.

“Come on!” Vega had gotten up her seat and grabbed Max from her seat after having returned from gossiping with the other girls about the cute American relatives of Pete’s who just transferred to London.

“You are such a pain in the neck ever since you accepted Love as your Lord and Savior,” Max groaned as she only allowed her Mercenary Girl Buddy to drag her as far as the troupe of girls standing at the back, as they were overcrowded by other of Pete’s spinster cousins, Mari’s newly-divorced Aunt, and single female relatives.

No need to wonder where Lis, Sam, and Lila stood. They were all up in front of the hurdle and they even dragged the shy Alexa with them.

Lis tried coaxing Vega and Max to come closer, but even though how much the almond-eyed girl tugged at her friend’s hand, she just wouldn’t budge. “Fine suit yourself!” Lis would have mouthed as she rolled her eyes at the now-stubborn Max, firmly standing at the back of the crowd.

Sighing, Vega turned to Max only to cross her arms and pout at her. “Oh come on Max,” she tried tugging at the girl’s arm again so they can get a better space in front of Mari who was now teasing the other girls by pretending to throw the bouquet. “One day you’ll fall in love and you’ll understand why,” Vega said, half-giggling.

Max just rolled her eyes and muttered, “Ugh, I want the old Aeoren back.”

Fred watched them from afar, trying to stifle his laughter as he shared the table with James who went over just to chat with him the moment Vega stood up to look for Max when Mari announced that she was about to split with the flowers. As the two were talking about eyeing some of the nice girls in the crowd, Fred almost jumped when Tom suddenly flopped on the seat beside him, clearly exhausted after dancing non-stop with a hyper Lis… and eventually a cheeky Sam who wanted him to teach her how to Boogie.

“How was ‘Strictly Come Dancing’?” Fred said in between sniggers.

The supposedly blonde man wasn’t able to answer the moment he sat down, since he quickly picked up his glass and started drinking from it. Erupting with a soft _ehehehe_ , Tom settled in his seat as he quieted down as the host standing beside the bride started to announce the conditions of the bouquet throw.

“It looks like those girls are making up for all those days I teased them back when I was in the Academy,” Tom said wincing, as the boys stopped chattering to take a proper look at what was happening on the supposed dance floor. “Anyway, I would say it was worth it.”

Fred chuckled back at Tom’s reply, when all of a sudden James spoke up. “Are you joining the Garter throw, fellas?”

His brunette friend turned to him with a questioning look, that specific look that had this naughty and playful glint in his eyes. Tom however, despite all the playful gestures he had been doing on the dancefloor, he really believed he had enough of flirting with everyone else that day. For some reason, despite the fact that he does love fooling around with the girls, it just felt too exhausting this time around. However, Fred seems to disagree.

“I think I’m up for it,” the Scotsman answered. “What about you, Thomas?”

Pursing his lips, wrinkling his nose a bit, the half-English, half-Scottish gentleman took another sip of his drink. “Honestly fellas,” Tom spoke. “I think I’m being a hypocrite by joining such nuptial games when I don’t believe in love anymore…”

Much to his exasperation, Fred was actually the one who suddenly burst out laughing. An awkward looking James just gulped and started laughing weakly with his friend, before they both had to catch their breaths after finding Tom awkwardly smoothing his ginger-blonde curls, as he shifted awkwardly in his seat.

The youngest man in their group furrowed his eyebrows, sporting a concerned look on his face. “That’s a shame,” he said softly. “The chance to gander at a bridesmaid…” Fred mockingly clucked his tongue.

A small laugh escaped Tom’s lips. “What did I say?!”

“Nothing really,” Fred said, trying to get past his snickers as he held on to James’ arm for good measure. “Suit yourself, Thomas. Don’t say I didn’t try to get you in this.”

Tom opened his mouth and was about to retort when a sudden clamor erupted from the slew of women gathered in the middle of the reception hall, catching the attention of everyone else who were on their seats. Mari already had turned around, and was subtly winking at her close “sisters” and her Maid of Honor, who was obviously hogging the middle row – almost having a power struggle with Lis, who seemed to be up as her competition.

“Well here we go,” Fred said subtly as all their eyes were on the bride, who finally raised the bouquet up in the air.

Bringing it up to her head twice, wowing the crowd, all the girls upfront gave a loud shriek when Mari finally gave her hands a little jerk and sent the flowers soaring up in the air.

It made an arch over the girls… as it literally went past Lis, Sam, Lila, Alex, and Mari’s sister Sophia’s heads.

Apparently, the bride had thrown it too far and it landed far back – completely missing the spinsters and the younger female relatives as well. Max on the other hand made a face as she conveniently swerved out of the way of the soaring bouquet, only to turn around and cover her mouth when the dust had settled.

In the middle of it all, Vega emerged from the crowd with a blank look on her face… with the bouquet effortlessly pinned in between her hands, despite being roughly shoved backwards by two of Mari’s nieces. Max at first stared at her in shock, but quickly stood in front of her when she saw that two of the women who were barely in their twenties and probably a foot higher than Vega, were attempting to wrangle the prized bunch of flowers from her best friend’s hand.

“OH MY GOD!”

The girls upfront quickly ran backwards and surrounded their Mercenary Sister like a protective wall, as Lis and Lila crushed Vega in a hug, as Mari squealed from the stage, clapping her hands enthusiastically like an excited dolphin.

“Well isn’t that ironic,” Fred said softly as he watched the girl whom he was talking to earlier, her left arm up in the air, triumphantly shaking the bouquet as she welcomed the bride who sprinted into her arms.

“Don’t you think –“

He turned to his side to find his friend just gaping at the scene as well, his jaw completely unhinged.

 

***

 

James had hauled Fred on his feet and was standing with Jeremy, the nineteen-year old boy, who marched beside Vega during the entourage, as they prepared for Pete’s garter toss. Of course they held that really suggestive scene where the groom had to pull off the garter from his bride’s leg… and he did it in such a fashionable way by pulling it off with his teeth, much to the chagrin of his mother, father, and in-laws… but you could see the laughter and the hype among his guests faces when he did it.

Now with the prized garter in his hand, he waved to his participating male guests, as a clamor erupted from the audience when a tall, honey-blonde man in a tux came up and stood beside a flabbergasted Frederick and James.

 

“Well well well,” Fred said ironically, a bit of a slur in his voice, concerning he did quite have a few glasses of the finest wine served in that reception. “Here comes Mister ‘I-Don’t-Believe-In-Love’… Brave enough to step up while the girls are hiding in the loo, cheering your victorious Aeoren…”

Tom smirked as he just gave Fred a little glare, before pocketing his hands. “Oh just shut up, Fred.”

The Scotsman laughed boisterously, catching the eye of the other males who were crowding them on the dancefloor, but none of them were as big or statue-esque as the two friends. In exception of James who inherited his brother’s slightly stocky build.

“Must be a hypocritical day for you, Hiddleston,” Fred was able to sneak in another snide remark.

Tom just snorted back at his friend, before widening his eyes the moment Pete turned around and prepared to raise the lingerie up his head.

“Boys, heads up!”

 

 

A few moments later, the girls emerged from the loo, creating a buzz of their own, as they surrounded the smallest girl in their group, who was giddily holding the treasure bouquet in her hands.

“My god,” Sophia exclaimed. “You should have seen Mary Louise. She almost pushed Vega out of the way!”

“At least Auntie Cecil didn’t try to wrestle for it,” Mari spoke up. “Like what she did during Francine’s wedding last year.”

“Lucky Vega still caught it despite…” Lis eyed the girl from head to toe, somewhat suggesting an insult, but she just decided to shut up when Max glared in her direction. “Oh aren’t you lucky.”

Vega on the other hand, was high as a kite, laughing ironically at the entire situation.

“Can you believe it?!” She exclaimed, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she tried to get around her giggling, almost beside herself the moment they entered the ballroom. “I was just really at the back since Maxine wouldn’t want to come up front –“

The said girl just rolled her eyes at her friend’s comment.

“I really didn’t expect this,” Vega said, looking twice giddy as ever, her cheeks red despite not reapplying her blush on.

“Oh hush,” Mari exclaimed as she hugged her friend. “This really is a sign that you are going to get married.”

Upon realizing that, all the girls around Vega started squealing, leaving the girl in the middle to shyly smile as if she was the blushing bride as she tucked her unbraided locks behind an ear. “It’s such a shame Gale couldn’t be here,” she suddenly spoke softly.

“Yeah!” The bride said, pulling on Vega’s arm as they went past the almost empty tables, considered everyone had gathered around the dancefloor. “He could have caught the garter and it would have been a perfect match.”

Vega’s laughter was so high, it would have sounded like wedding bells at that moment. “I wonder who caught the garter though –“

The crowd parted the moment the girls stepped in, and the entire clique were able to survey the hurdle of boys standing in the middle of the dancefloor, with one of them being clapped hard on the back by the groom. It was Tom who was standing beside Fred who was bent over laughing with mirth (either its true elation or he had too much to drink), looking a bit non-plussed, despite how red his cheeks are as well. And what made all the girls gasp… was the fact he was holding the said garter in his hands.

All the girls turned to a shocked looking Vega with eyes as wide as a deer’s in headlights as she just squeaked out a small “Oh.”

 

***

 

He couldn’t tell if it was as worse as his first audition or it was that time he actually realized he would meet Kenneth Branagh. But of course, those were different circumstances. Everything seemed to be silenced from where he stood, as the groomsmen stood around him – including Fred – urging him to go approach the stage since it was time – time for the garter tradition. And with this, he felt as if his bile rose from his throat, completely robbing him of the capability to speak or even feel properly.

He couldn’t even glance in her direction as the girls egged her on about, as he realized that if he doesn’t stop looking, he’d end up trying to memorize how her skin seemed much creamier in that brand of scarlet that she was wearing, how he adored seeing her short hair plaited and wrapped around her head, and how she uncomfortably smiled as she swatted away Lis and Max’s hands as they try to prep her up for the upcoming event. As much as Tom tried not to look at her, he remember how much he told himself over and over that he wasn’t allowed to feel this way, that he was over things, and this is just going to be an innocent interaction, a twist of fate, between two friends. He tried to convince himself that it was just something like that.

But he knew he just couldn’t move from the chair where he was sitting on, the moment he saw her rise from her seat surrounding the girls, still clasping that wonderful arrangement of flowers in her tiny hands, as she approached the lone stylized metal chair that sat in the middle of the ballroom stage. Him, the self-possessed stage actor, the man who is always up for a game, for a trick, for an interview… Him who was always fearless, sport, and unrelenting… was suddenly afraid. And Tom didn’t want to explain or understand those feelings erupting from within him… Within his solar plexus even.

 _Are those even butterflies?_ He asked himself, as if he wasn’t familiar with the feeling. _This is embarrassing._

“Buddy,” Fred said in a voice that was akin to a cackling hyena. “You look stiff.”

Tom’s left eye twitched as he shrugged off the man’s hand lying on his neck, touching his skin as if to check his temperature. “And cold too!”

“Knock it off, Fred,” Tom growled.

“Well Mr. I’m-So-Lucky-With-The-Garter-Grumpy-Pants,” he said, holding on to James for support, with Jeremy smiling cluelessly behind them. “It’s almost showtime.”

Tom sighed and gritted his teeth as he stood up, trying to conceal the fact that he was fidgety, as he looked at the stage and watched Vega take her place on the chair, throwing smiles around, and a flick of her hand at Mari and Max who started hooting and catcalling in her direction. However, he was just a few steps away from his shared table with the boys, when he had to stop in his tracks… when the young woman he was approaching suddenly turned into his direction, looked at him bluntly (yet bravely) with those lovely dark brown eyes… and smiled.

It was a smile he never saw from Vega before. The smile he always saw from her were stolen, awkward smiles… when she thought he wasn’t watching her every move. He’d seen her gratefully smile up at him as well, during those tender moments when he thought they’d actually hit it off. But it was always tainted with a bit of bashfulness and tons of uncertainty, making him think if she even meant that smile for him.

But this one was different – it was so brazen. It didn’t help how the smile complimented how she glowed in the middle of the room, making her shine for a moment as if she was the bride, and not Mari. But of course, this was the way he saw her. _I wonder if I’m the only one seeing her like this_ , Tom wondered as he awkwardly shifted from his place, being awkward and ungraceful for a moment – something so far from what he usually was perceived. _I wonder if there are other men who would be noticing how beautiful she is today –_

“Come on Hiddleston!” He could Fred’s drunken slurs at the back of the room, causing him to close his eyes and twitch his jaw, wishing the man could just disappear.

He didn’t know if it helped at all when he opened his eyes, and realized that his feet had brought him right in front of the bouquet catch winner, now sporting a candid smile on her face – making her seem real and breathtaking all at the same time.

“Hey Thain,” Vega said so casually, making him wonder if this was the same woman who shied away from him a year ago, by hiding on the rooftop. “You alright?”

He tried to smile, but God forbid, he might have looked ridiculous. “I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m really fine –“

She chuckled, a softer version of that gentle laugh she did on the Olympia Exhibition Hall… at a time when she truly sounded happy and blissful. That laugh that sounded like bells ringing…

“Come on,” she coaxed at him. “Let’s get this over with.”

Puffing up his cheeks and letting out a gust of air, he was surprised how this friend of his whom he treasured above everyone else despite circumstances, can be ten times calmer than he could ever be. Considering that he used to be calmer one… Finding comfort in those chocolate eyes, he sank down on one knee as he stretched the garter with his slender fingers, without taking his eyes off hers.

 _God-forbid that I blush_ , he thought dangerously as he felt a shiver creep up his spine as he slowly watched Vega raise her skirt to give him better access to her exposed leg…

At that moment, seeing her creamy skin under the thin stockings just made something short-circuit in Tom’s brain… and he swore he was able to shut out the screaming and squealing of all the men and women around him, guests and friends alike. The trouble was, he felt as if his brain has shut down as well.

Vega on the other hand, felt like this was too awkward a situation.

She actually felt sorry for Tom, how clearly looked as if the entire situation was so uncomfortable and awkward for him. But she managed to remain calm and attempted to push everything back at in the recesses of her mind, because this time… she knows everything is not orchestrated at all. For the first time, after laughing and gossiping earlier with this man kneeling in front of her, she felt as if all her fear and discomfort of being around him just faded away. And this helped Vega try to snap Tom out of his own discomfort by flashing him the most genuine and brave smile she could give him during that event.

“Don’t listen to them Thain,” she said softly in between innocent giggles. “They’re just slightly drunk.”

Gritting his teeth as he took her foot, ignoring the way Mari squealed about a few steps behind him as she clung to her husband’s arm, Tom said, “I preferred it if they were really wankered.” Wrinkling his nose, he added, “And knocked out.”

He couldn’t look up knowing that the woman was still wearing an infectious smile. “Trust me,” she said, looking over at Fred. “You don’t want to have Fred or Max drunk.”

Tom tried to turn around to see what she was talking about, but to his surprise, Vega reached out and firmly held his chin in place… accelerating that shudder that went through the back of his neck, causing his body to freeze like ice.

“Relax!” She said, soft enough for him to hear. “It’s just me.”

Tom smiled feebly, half cussing himself in his head having revealed the fact that he was so fidgety during the entire time. Not to mention that he has already unstrapped her shoes and he was holding her leg over his knee… making the scene even look more suggestive.

“I know how ridiculously awkward this is,” Vega’s voice snapped him out of his trance, surprising him with how level-headed she was. She was basically the complete opposite of the girl he met last year. And somewhat, this realization that he was now facing a grown woman even made his heart dissolve in the pits of his stomach. “But just imagine that you’re slipping a hoop around your little sister’s ankle. Yes?”

The way she nodded her head and smiled upon saying “Yes” made him gulp.

“Easy for you to say,” Tom said, putting aside his inhibitions as he peered into her eyes and took a deep breath. “But if my Mercenary Sister wishes it, then I must comply.”

Vega found herself suddenly giggling loud enough – only to stop herself in the middle, upon hearing that old pledge that Tom would always drop in the middle of roleplaying, that pledge that somewhat leveled everything off and got rid of their anxieties when it comes to complicated decisions.

But Vega wasn’t prepared with how he quickly was able to banish his bashfulness, as he tore those blue eyes from hers, his jaw clenching as he conveniently held her small bare stocking-covered foot in one of his large hands… as he slowly slipped the large laced garter the bride had been wearing earlier past her toes and her ankle.

It looked as if time suddenly moved so slowly as she literally watched him slide the laced material up her legs, his fingers gently brushing up her skin, leaving behind an imaginary white line that somewhat burned ice cold in its midst.

She barely even noticed the fact that Tom had to raise her red gown a little bit so he can secure the garter on her thigh, his eyes focused on what he was doing – as if he was a mechanic fixing a lovely car, preferably the most beautiful Rolls Royce he placed his eyes on.

He let go of the garter with a soft gentle snap, as it was wrapped comfortably around Vega’s thigh, not too tight and not too loose.

He flicked his eyes to meet hers, as suddenly all the screaming and squealing around the dancefloor was muffled out as she met with that familiar feeling of drowning into those blue eyes as she now felt time stop… As for that moment, she didn’t see Tom Hiddleston – but she saw that old friend whom she grew up with, past the internet walls, past the unwritten emails and letters, past the digital barriers that was placed between them. She saw that person whom she always had a bond with – someone she promised she would be there for.

She suddenly froze, and everything turned to ice. But there was something warm that touched her face, that released her from all that cold… when she realized that Tom had leaned down on her and kissed her cheek.

Tom got up triumphantly and winked at the screaming girls, waving at the boys who looked as if they were howling at the… leaving Vega still seated, still staring into space, as one hand shot up her face, touching the cheek he just kissed.

For a moment, she felt as if the old, raging, bashful Aeoren just burned her from the inside out.

 

 

***

 

Tom had to tear himself from the well-wishers and the males whom he hasn’t met yet who were egging him for a drink after that feat he did with the “bridesmaid”. Little do they know was the fact that there was something more than that, something buried in the past, something that - he told himself – he finally learned how to conquer.

Walking with his head up, drowning in an unnatural high, he suddenly came across the girl who was also dressed in red, but wasn’t one of Mari’s cheeky bridesmaids. She was exiting the Coat Closet, probably on her way out, walking on those long slender legs showcased by the slit on her dress, making him remember how gorgeous this woman was when she clung onto his arm as they both walked down the aisle.

“Hello,” she said cheerfully as she turned towards his direction, speaking in an accent he couldn’t place.

“Hi again,” Tom said breathlessly, flashing the girl a big smile. Well everyone else’s smiles were infectious for quite the while, he couldn’t help but exude the same kind of brightness in his. “Beatrice, if I’m not mistaken?”

She smiled back as she pulled that expensive cashmere coat around her shoulders, hiding that sleeveless ensemble that accentuated her… everything. She was quite the curvy goddess, and he would admit that this was his weakness… but to be honest, they just met and it was a wedding… Tom chose not to be too… _forward_.

“Bea would be better,” she said in a tone as if she was torn between chatting and leaving, considering the group of people she came in with – mostly men that seemed to be from Pete’s firm, making Tom deduce that she was probably an associate. A close associate. “You’re Tom right?”

“Positive,” he said with that winning grin.

“That was an amazing interaction with that cute bridesmaid,” Bea said, leaning on one leg, having him gaze even more on that cleavage that came into view the moment she loosened the coat around her shoulders and he found her crossing her arms. “You must consider yourself a lucky groomsman.”

He laughed in that trademark _eheheheh_ , as he ran a hand through his hair, missing the way he was put in his place. And surely he knew this woman could.

“Well,” he started. “I would have been luckier if a girl like you were sitting on that chair.”

Suddenly he watched as the impatience on her face disappear; as he caught her biting those red, red lips. He knew it was his cue to make his move – and he found himself just winking at her as he turned around, about to leave the scene, having dropped the line. He wouldn’t blame himself, he knew she was on the game as well, since she had been sporting that body language that she didn’t want to stay and chat with him…

“Well then Tom,” she suddenly spoke up, causing him to turn on his heels. “Maybe you can make this girl that lucky…”

He held his breath when she slipped a hand out of that coat and handed him a card. He gratefully received it, mirroring her expression by biting his lip as well, as he turned the business card around his hands, looking at her credentials:

 

**Beatrice Cohen-Wright**

**_Arcadia Gallery_ **

_Head Curator_

 

He whistled as he looked up, only to find her walking away, a hand up in the air. “I loved the Deep Blue Sea,” he heard her call out as she waved. “Maybe we can talk about that some other time.”

Flipping the card around his hands as he watched him join her male friends, Tom could say that he couldn’t see it… but a whole new fire was seen in his eyes.


	15. Picture Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the reception wraps up, the Bride reveals that she has another card up her sleeve for her dear friends. Vega and Max on the other hand, seal a deal over something they did not see coming.

“Where have you been?!”

 

“What, am I not allowed to go to the loo anymore –“

 

Tom suddenly found himself being harried towards the elevated stage in the middle of the dance floor. They probably wrapped up the programs during the reception, and the guest attendance was slowly thinning as most of the people either went down for a few more drinks, or have already said their well-wishes and farewells to the bride and groom.

 

The girls however, were acting as if the first act just finished, and there would be more.

 

“Come on guys,” Mari exclaimed as she lifted her skirt and started dragging the shy twins up front in the stage where Lis and Sam were surrounding Jeremy, cheekily asking the boy about his personal life, while Lila was busy chatting with James and Max, while Fred looked on with a glass of wine in his hand, seemingly wishing he could be somewhere else. “Mr. Henderson and his team would be here for just another hour, I am not letting that time go to waste!”

  
“What are you talking about –“

 

Mari tapped Vega on the shoulder, who was standing there with the bunch of flowers still in her hands, and pointed to her right, the direction just in front of the stage – where Mr. Henderson waved, along with his two assistants holding the giant reflectors and portable lights as the photographer adjusted his tripod.

 

“Oh,” Vega mused, noting mentally that this was probably the third time when she was caught flabbergasted saying the same syllables during the day.

 

However, the other girls had another expression etched on their faces when they realized that Mari had reserved a Nuptial Photoshoot just for their Mercenary family.

 

“OH MY GOD –“

 

“AFTER TEN YEARS –“

 

“Mari, you genius –“ Lila said, kissing the girl on the forehead, despite the bride being a few inches taller than her. “I WOULDN’T HAVE THOUGHT OF IT!”

 

Waggling her eyebrows, the bride said, “A wedding photoshoot with all my sisters and my two precious Mercenary brothers? Who would definitely pass off this opportunity?!”

 

Upon suddenly realizing the commotion, everyone suddenly dove into the forming scene in front of the camera, as Lis suddenly started running on her tippy toes, pointing repeatedly at the white-clad Marianne, who was nodding in agreement to what they were thinking. The other girls suddenly huddled together, with Vega dragging a really reluctant-looking Max beside her, all of them posing in front of the camera. Fred and Tom were wearing excited smiles as well, as one of them placed an arm over the nervous-looking Alex, and another pulled Jeremy and James in the fray, before Mr. Henderson started calling their attention.

 

“All right! At the ready!” He exclaimed, standing behind the camera, raising a finger. “One, two –“

 

The cameras started flashing and everyone flashed their best smiles and their most decent poses, as every single person standing in front of the camera brimmed with an unusual brightness, considering the confidence surrounding them all… All of them beautiful people, especially at that moment when they’re dressed at their finest, and were surrounded by their dearest friends.

 

_Flash!_

 

“One more!”

 

_Flash!_

“A little bit informal!”

 

Suddenly, Lis piped up. “Oh, I know! I know!” she almost squealed, as all the other girls looked at her, wonderment in their eyes. “Why don’t we reprise the mercenaries?!”

 

Fred, despite slightly tipsy, actually lit up. “Oh isn’t that a dang bloody idea?!”

“What are you waiting for?!” Tom exclaimed, almost roaring on top of his voice. “MERCENARIES ASSEMBLE!”

 

All of a sudden there was scurry of feet, as Lis disappeared from Vega’s side and stood beside Sam and Alexa… While Lila and Mari suddenly fixed their hair, with Mari slightly loosening her ponytail to depict the long-haired lasses they portrayed online so many years before. Vega found herself crossing her arms and leaning back to back (as she always did) with Max, as they were considered to be the “unconventional boyish girls” in their clique back then. Little do they know that Fred and Tom conveniently moved behind the two of them, posing casually as they were… being no different from the actual Baldain and Thain, respectively.

 

_Flash!_

 

“FOR THE SHIRE!” Lis actually screamed, initially shedding that demure persona she has always seemed to carry.

 

_Flash!_

 

All the girls were smiles, and the boys couldn’t help smiling as well considering the sudden adrenaline rush and the happy mood that was surrounding all of them.

 

“Guys! Guys!” Mari suddenly said, flailing her arms. “Make way for the hobbit girls! We need a group pic!” Making a silly face, Fred drew back Jeremy and Alex, as the bride along with Lis, Sam, Lila, and Alexa posed in front of the camera, with just the five girls occupying the center of the stage. Vega and Max backed off as well, hiding smiles behind their hands, considering that they didn’t consider themselves part of this hobbit lasses group, silently laughing at how primped and proper they looked – just like those Victorian ladies in Jane Eyre.

 

_Flash!_

 

“OI MOVE OVER! MAKE WAY FOR THE BOYS AND THE DARK MERCENARIES!” Max suddenly bellowed as the other girls moved back to let the other half of the group occupy the space, with the brusque bridesmaid dragging the smaller girl in red, still clutching onto her bouquet of flowers, as the boys (excluding James, Jeremy and a really shy Alex) took their space behind them. Weirdly enough, despite the “evil” faces Max, Fred, and Tom were making at the camera… it was only Vega who stood there palming her face, trying so hard not to laugh… which is pretty much accurate to the real Aeoren who was half-comic relief and half-antagonistic.

 

_Flash! Flash!_

 

“GUYS PLEASE, ANOTHER SHOT FOR THE BRIDE AND HER BRIDESMAID!”

 

“Oh yes!” Tom exclaimed, half bowing as he moved back, offering the spotlight to the two laughing girls. “Please! Don’t hold yourselves back on our account!”

 

_Flash!_

 

Vega stood at the sidelines trying to hide her sniggers as Lila and Mari took the spotlight again, with Fred offering the steel metal ornate chair for the bride to sit on, the same chair Vega sat on when she had the bride’s garter worn on her thigh. With the professional photographer taking a shot or two of the bride and her Maid of Honor, he suddenly became surprised when Tom and Fred photobombed the last shot by hovering over their backs, making goofy grins, and placing horns on the Mari and Lila’s heads.

 

“Come on you two!” Mari exclaimed as she and the redhead started swatting the two boys away. “Give us a break –“

 

“ANOTHER GROUP SHOT!”

 

As the other members of their mercenary troupe filed in the middle of the stage, Vega found herself standing safely beside Max as usual. They have probably taken several shots by now, and the fatigue was obviously setting in. “Vega darling,” Mari suddenly spoke up as she rose from her seat and offered the chair to the girl holding the bouquet. “Take my place.”

 

“Why?” the girl exclaimed, slightly hesitating.

 

“You’re the bouquet catch winner, it would be better if you’re in the middle –“

 

“No it’s okay, you can take the flowers,” Vega started, offering the bride the flowers.

 

“Just sit down,” Lila suddenly spoke, forcing the girl on the chair as she was surrounded by the bride and the Maid of Honor, with the redhead’s hand on her shoulders, and Mari’s hand on her arm. Hiding a small “oof!”, Vega didn’t notice how Lila suddenly winked at Fred, and Lis was exchanging whispers with Alex and Sam.

 

“Okay guys!” Mari shouted out.

“1 –“ Mr. Henderson counted.

 

“SMILE!” Lila added, exclaiming out loud.

 

Vega, despite the bright lights blinding her ever so slightly, started to feel exhausted by just sitting down on that same metal chair, but she still took a deep breath and put on a big smile. After all, this wedding was going down in history as the first Mercenary Wedding, and of course – she had to be caught _smiling_.

 

“2 –”

 

All of a sudden, there was a scuffle of feet, and Vega felt Lila’s hands leave her shoulders, as the bride beside her suddenly scampered to the sides of the stage. Even Max was suddenly dragged out of the way by Fred, sort of muffling her retorts with his quick movements. Confused, Vega looked around her only to find her friends standing on the sides, big smiles plastered on their faces as they looked at her, seemingly all alone in the middle.

 

“Guys, what’s going –“

 

The woman suddenly felt goose bumps creep up the back of her neck when a larger pair of hands were placed on her shoulders… and she had to look up only to find one of the groomsmen smiling down at her with those big familiar blue eyes –

“3!”

 

_Flash!_

 

The small brunette suddenly jumped out of the chair, realizing that _everyone_ in her clique has left her in the spotlight – with Tom. And the man looked unrepentant as well, as if he knew about this plot all along, holding on to the top of the metal chair, slightly hunched over – as he was in the right level to look her straight in the eye, grinning like a madman.

 

“What’s going on?” Vega asked him, eyebrow raised as she stood in front of him.

 

_Flash!_

 

“Mandatory garter and bouquet victors’ picture!” Mari screamed out from her safe distance.

 

Tom winked at Mari without moving from his place, and smiled back at his _sister_. “What she said.”

 

_Flash!_

 

Vega made a face now as she looked at the camera and back to the honey-blonde haired man in front of her. “Just go along with it Vega,” Tom teased, his eyes shrinking as he beamed brightly, as the two Mercenaries left in the spotlight started to circle the chair, making it seem like a really special Trip to Jerusalem with only two players left.

 

“You wanna play that game?”

 

_Flash!_

 

“Why not?” Tom answered mischievously, never removing his eyes from the girl, ignoring the catcalling and the shrieks coming from their friends who were standing in both directions.

 

_Flash!_

 

Vega felt an unusual white heat going through her as she dangled those flowers in one hand, sizing up the man who was pacing in front of her, circling the chair like a predator. _This is insane_ , she thought. It has been a long day, and Vega could swear that she had probably experienced the worst – almost losing her hotel room, missing her fiancé during this romantic event, having been under Tom’s slightly scrutinizing eyes the entire ceremony, that little internal nervous breakdown she had during the start of the wedding, successfully turning down his invitation to dance, and having the man sensually slip a garter up her leg.

 

And to think about it – she was having all these shared weird experiences in the same event with this _man_ , the same man who had her nerves up in a bunch, sending waves of discomfort, and had her testing her mettle for the past few weeks… make that years…

 

And to think about it, despite all that fucked up tension due to past circumstances, Vega just actually found the courage and the power to remain calm in his presence… And to think about it, they actually just somewhat reconciled and started feeling comfortable around each other again!

 

_Why make a big deal of another circumstance like this?_

 

Vega threw back her head and laughed, making Tom slightly stop in his tracks, surprised by her sudden change of mood, considering for a moment he was afraid that this little plot of Mari’s and the girls would backfire and Vega would actually awkwardly turn down this one chance she could share an official photoshoot picture with him.

 

_Flash!_

 

“You wanna play that game?” the little brunette said playfully, biting her lip. “Well then –“

 

Just when Tom thought Vega would actually snap, the girl suddenly took a huge step towards him, grabbed his arm and linked it with hers – before turning to the camera to make a peace sign and a cute face.

 

_Flash!_

 

Still frozen in shock and surprise, Tom was completely flabbergasted when the girl quickly unhooked her arm from his and suddenly threw him the bouquet –

 

_Flash!_

 

And as he caught it, he suddenly found Vega behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist (much to the excitement of the girls who were screaming as if it was almost the end of the world) and peeking from his side as she smiled at the camera as if she was making love to it.

 

Fred was literally red in the face now, not just because of the amount of wine he drank, but also because of the laughter he had been trying to repress. Max on the other hand was gaping at the scene, jaw unhinged as if she saw something completely preposterous happening in front of her very eyes.

 

_Flash!_

Despite being taken over by surprise and that jolt of electricity that coursed through his veins as he watched _this particular girl_ circle him and envelop him in such adoring poses as she smiled in front of the camera as if she wasn’t engaged to someone else, Tom suddenly found his confidence as he held the bouquet in one hand and slipped an arm around Vega’s shoulder… before taking her in a headlock.

_Flash!_

“HEY!” He could hear her voice under the tangle of arms he had made, as he felt her small hands clamp on his sleeve. For a moment, he could remember the last time he casually did this to her – in the Langham Hotel as he tried to wake her up, that morning before they went to Cornwall. “YOU’RE CHEATING!”

_Flash!_

For some reason, Vega was able to maneuver her way out of Tom’s headlock as she picked up the bouquet he had dropped on the metal chair and sprinted in a circle around it.

“COME BACK HERE –“

_Flash!_

By then, the flailing and screaming among the girls have gone up a notch, and even the boys were completely hooked with the spectacle Thain and Aeoren had been doing in front of the camera, as Mr. Henderson just wouldn’t stop taking pictures. How can you even stop when the taller blonde suddenly reached out and took the girl who was trying to avoid him by running around the chair, slipping his hands around her waist – as they both fell on the said metal seat, with Tom sitting the bridesmaid on top of his lap?

_Flash!_

Vega’s small squeak actually echoed above the high-pitched squealing Lis, Mari, Sam, and Lila were doing, as she found herself conveniently seated on top of the man she’s trying to outrun. Tom however, had filled the air with his infectious laughter, which he almost had to choke on when a hysterical Vega suddenly pushed him on the chest, riddled up in giggles as well.

_Flash!_

To make matters worse, Tom actually tried to kiss her cheek – only to have Vega’s hand shooting up his face all of a sudden, shoving his lips out of the way…

_Flash!_

But Vega wasn’t prepared when she tried standing up in an attempt to put a stop to this insanity, when Tom suddenly scooped her in his arms and stood up to his full height, cradling the girl like a bride swept off her feet.

“Oh my God – Tom, put me down –“

_Flash!_

“Oh stay still, love… even just for a few minutes –“

_Flash!_

Despite struggling for him to put her down, she was actually beside herself giggling and laughing, making it hard to admit to herself later on that she actually enjoyed this little spectacle she shared with him. Little does she know that when these photos are printed out, despite how much Vega thought she must have looked so unflattering with the way she squirmed against Tom’s hold… Mari considered her pictures to be the most enchanting, considering that she was blushing more than the bride in her official shots.

“Come on! Put me down –“

_Flash!_

“Alright! That’s all the extra shots we can have for the Official Photography Album!” Mr. Henderson sounded out. “I must have filled in all of my DSLR’s memory.”

Realizing that it was over, Tom then placed the girl he was carrying back on her feet, as a flushed looking Vega still holding the bouquet took a few steps to regain her balance despite those fairly tall heels – before she drew back her fist and gave the man beside her a gentle punch to the chest.

“Oof!” Tom exclaimed as he backed off a bit, ignoring the way the girls were chattering around the two of them. “What was that for?”

Vega initially couldn’t answer since she couldn’t look into those blue eyes that were just sparkling as if he saw his Christmas gift too early, and the fact that she was giggling too hard as she was tried to catch her breath.

Once she did, she looked up at the man and smiled back. “That’s for being too cheeky.”

Tom couldn’t deny it, but he actually blushed.

 

***

 

Vega didn’t notice it but the boys did, and Jeremy did tell her that she was blooming. But at that moment when the remaining crowd at the reception were about to send off Mari and Pete to their honeymoon in this beautiful white Volkswagen, the woman decided to stay as far as she can from her so-called Mercenary brother just so they wouldn’t be catcalled at again… or simply just so she wouldn’t have to endure Tom’s small smiles… considering that after her splendid display of brazenness, Vega would say that is starting to feel giddy for no reason, especially when he’s around.

To her surprise, just as Mari ran down the hall in her smart casual clothes, Pete in tow in that wonderful three piece that shared the same shade as what he was wearing earlier during the ceremony; the blushing bride suddenly stopped in front of Vega (with her Maid of Honor just standing beside her) and kissed her on the cheek.

“I’m so proud of you, Vega,” Mari whispered after hugging her friend.

“I’m honored,” the smaller brunette exclaimed, still clad in her red gown. “But honestly Marianne, I didn’t know what I did.”

Marianne ignored her and glanced at the tall blonde watching them at the back of the crowd, before turning to smile at Vega. “You know what you did. And you were such a sport,” she said proudly. “They’re right, you have grown up. You’re so brave… and I’m just so pleased that you and Tom are good friends again.” She kissed a surprised looking Vega on the cheek once more before moving away.

Lips parted in surprise, Vega just sighed and waved to the bride. “You enjoy your honeymoon,” she called out.

“I will!” she called out, before having a long and tearful hug with Lila and Sophie.

Before climbing in the Volkswagen with her husband, Mari blew her sisters a kiss before exclaiming, “I’ll see you off soon!” And with that, Mari was off to her honeymoon in Paris.

With the spectacle over and the reception technically concluded, Max and Vega remained on the steps of the Dartmouth House, watching their friend’s Bridal Car speed away. “Well that’s that,” Max exclaimed as she looked at her nonplussed-looking friend still staring at a distance. “What do we do now?”

Playing with her ring, Vega sighed and said, “Well I have a hotel room to save. Apparently I have to rebook the hotel my fiancé left behind, and I still haven’t found an alternative to that –“

She suddenly had to stop speaking upon seeing the satisfied yet oddly mischievous smile on Max’s face.

“Well,” Max said, clearly pleased with herself. “There’s that…”

The taller brunette dragged her friend back into the reception hall and a few minutes later, over afternoon scones and tea… Vega just realized how speechless she was with what Max just told her, in that almost empty ballroom, save for a few guests, the boys playing tricks on each other, and Pete’s older British Relatives getting drunk on ale.

 

“I…I don’t know what to say.”

 

Max leaned over the table and her tea, almost staining her own cleavage-showing red gown as she looked her friend in the eye and said, “You don’t have to say anything, Vega. Haven’t you seen the situation? Everything fits! Everything is just perfect!”

Taking a sip of her tea, Vega found herself wrinkling her nose as she ignored that rambunctious laughter she is hearing from the bar which is either Thain or Baldain or one of the younger boys, she didn’t care. She was actually pleased that Lis and Sam decided to retire back into the hotels when the latter started to get too intoxicated, while Alexa and her twin brother hopped on a cab the moment Lis and Sam left, but not before saying goodbye to everyone. But what burned her ears right now is that amazing proposal her good old friend just offered. “I don’t know Max,” she said, definitely thinking twice. “Are you sure?”

“Definitely!” the girl nodded back, hyper. Either because of the moment or the alcohol, they’ll never know.

“I’m not in a hurry, you know,” Vega said, putting her cup down. “I still have a bit of savings that I can use to book that room for a week or so –“

Waving her hands, Max shook her head and replied, “Save your money for the flat’s rent.” She took a sip of her tea, ideas brewing in her mind. “I have a really generous benefactor and I am quite sure that we can cover the bills for the next few weeks, considering that my sister does give me my share of the business revenue at least twice a month…”

Nodding impressively, Vega found herself raising an eyebrow. “Benefactor, huh?”

Waggling her eyebrows in reply, Max replied, “Well yes, and a decent one at that. But that’s not important – what’s matters is that you finally get your flat, I finally get my flat – _we finally get to live on our own here in London._ ”

Covering her mouth in glee upon the realization, Max pointed at her with a wide grin in reply, as both girls suddenly clasped hand and were almost reduced to jumping out of their seats and dancing on the table in celebration of their personal achievement.

“Damn, I’m gonna miss that room service and their continental breakfast buffet –“

“Why don’t we sleepover in your hotel for at least one night,” Max said, stuffing her mouth with some biscuits. “If it’s still booked?”

Pursing her mouth and pointing at her friend, she suddenly started rummaging inside her small purse as she searched past the tissue pack, the makeup, the compact mirror, and other knick knacks for her smart phone. “Time to cancel that reservation –“

“Dang, Vega! But what about all the food –“

Standing up, as she held the phone about to dial the Dorchester, the smaller brunette held up a hand and said, “Come on, stop thinking about food at this moment, Maxine!” She sighed as she placed the phone on her ear, “I could use the money for the reservation you know. Like groceries or something.” She sighed as she looked at the smartphone’s screen again. “Damn, busy.”

She was about to leave the reception hall to get a better signal, when all of sudden, three gentlemen almost half-drunk on the complimentary refreshment approached the table… causing Max to look up and for Vega to turn off the phone for the moment.

“Hello girls,” Fred mused with Tom grinning silently beside him, with his arm still slung around James’s neck. “Just dropping by to say _Au Revoir_ –“

“Oh come on Fred,” the tall Englishman whined behind him. “You’re not saying goodbye forever –“

Placing the hand holding the phone to her waist, Vega smiled candidly at the two boys after giving the groom’s brother a little wave. “Hello boys,” Max echoed Fred’s words as she remained seated on the empty guest table. “What are you up to this time? Seriously it’s almost six o’ clock… and you’re still heading out?!”

“Since the groom is gone to get some, we decided to have a little honeymoon as well,” Fred exclaimed rubbing his hands together, as Tom laughed at the comment, bending over a bit as James mirrored his expression. “Probably in Soho or somewhere of the like –“

“You guys didn’t think the belly dancers are enough?!” Vega suddenly piped up as she stood there scrolling through her contacts. Fred actually burst out laughing as Tom just stared at her wide-eyed, swallowing a bit. “ _Tut tut_ ,” Vega teased, lightening the mood. “You naughty boys.”

Rolling her eyes, Max actually got up to her feet to push a comical Fred who allowed the girl to overpower him. “Go away, shoo, shoo,” she hissed ironically, as she placed her hands on her hips, slightly mimicking Vega’s stance, except for the silly smile on her face. “I don’t want to see your face again, McAllister –“

“Oh you don’t really mean that Gilligan,” Fred said winking at the girl as he allowed himself to be pushed out of the Churchill Room. “I’ll see you around Vega,” he called out to his other “sister” left standing in the reception hall. “Don’t spend too much time with this little witch and end up burning the building down!”

Hiding a snigger behind a hand, Vega just nodded and wrinkled her nose at her friend. “I’ll see you soon, Fred.”

As Max was making a “nyeh nyeh nyeh, shut your trap McAllister” retort, Vega saw Fred’s companion turn his eyes in her direction… as she caught Tom giving her a small smile. Unconsciously, she brought her hand holding her phone up to her face as she somewhat pressed her cheeks against her knuckles as she looked away for a moment, before returning the small expression.

He gave her a little nod as he tried to steady the slightly wobbling James, who obviously had the same amount of liquor to drink as the other guy who was making faces at the other bridesmaid.

Snatching her eyes away from the scene as she just laughed in a corner, still laughing at how the tipsy Max was sticking her tongue out at the slightly drunk Fred, she didn’t notice at all how Max and Tom actually exchanged nods in the middle of it all, before the three boys went down the staircase.

“Idiots,” Max growled as she went past the double doors, watching Vega still trying to dial the Dorchester as she sank on her chair, with a content smile on her face. “Now what?”

Repeating the gesture she did when she balanced her elbow over her left hand and pressed her right knuckles closed upon her phone on her face, Vega closed her eyes and said, “I can book the room for another week, but that’s gonna cost me – to a point I need to advance next paydate’s returns –“

Wrinkling her nose, Max exclaimed. “Does that cost include the continental buffet breakfast?”

“Yes,” Vega said in a nonplussed manner. “Including the continental buffet.”

Snapping her fingers, Max placed her hands on her waist as she started pacing in front of her friend still slouched on her chair, trying to dial her hotel. “Alright then,” Max suddenly exclaimed, “Forget the buffet and come sleep over the night with me.”

Retracting the hand with her phone from her face, Vega blinked once at Max and said, “Once again I ask you – are you sure about me taking your other vacant room?”

“Definitely!” Max exclaimed. “You’re the best choice! Instead of getting some random girl or bloke, I’d rather have my own Mercenary sister! Just don’t – don’t steal my food, don’t eat my desserts, and don’t stink up the shared bathroom.” The Latina nibbled on a manicured nail and said, “Well to think about it the ‘Master’s’ bedroom has its own bathroom –“

“Your flat has a Master’s bedroom?”

“That’s not important,” Max said waving a hand. “The thing is, why don’t you try it out for a night? Just to see if you would be comfy? But nonetheless, I’d have it reserved for you.”

Pressing the flat tip of her phone against her lips with the faded lipstick, Vega looked as if she was deep in thought as she sat there, considering Max’s offer. “I can make a down payment with you and try to cancel the hotel reservation…” she mumbled. “But then of course if Dorchester does not agree, I can leave it booked for a day or two to give me enough time to transfer my stuff to our new apartment –“

“So,” Max interrupted her. “What’s the plan?”

Shaking the phone at her friend’s direction, Vega sat up and said, “Let me just make this phonecall, then we can have dinner, then we can go over to my hotel and pick up my stuff, and then let’s get to your place. Sounds good?”

She looked up to see a big smile on Max’s face. “Yes!”

 

***

 

“So, where’s this flat of yours?”

After having a hearty meal at a nearby pizzeria, giggling like little girls as they ate with their hands, still seated on the tall stools in their red gowns, Vega asked Max if she can go help her pick up at least a few of her clothes and her gadgets from her hotel room. Now they sat in the cab, one of Vega’s duffle bags in tow, along with this large black stroller bag dumped beside them, as they sat stretched out in the cab seats, with their long, flowing gowns slowly flattening due to them wearing it almost _everywhere_.

“It’s a little bit close to Fulham Grid, to be honest,” Max answered as she played with her nails. “It was the best one sissy chose, since it was a few blocks away from her bakeshop… Not to mention that it suits her family of five. But she knew she just couldn’t take it when she saw the tag price.”

Looking out the window, admiring the lights in the night sky after 9pm, Vega smiled to herself remembering those lazy nights she had to spend in London in the past year back at Langham. “Why didn’t you get a smaller apartment then?” she asked without looking at the girl beside her, twiddling with her fingers.

She saw Max’s reflection shrug in the windows of the cab. “I told you, I had help… and of course, I had contacts of who could stay with me in such a big flat…” Raising an eyebrow, Vega turned to her friend and asked, “Who?”

Max stuck out her tongue and said, “You!”

Twenty-seven years of age and Vega felt like smiling like a little girl again. She may be a world away, with the love of her life back home, but she knew that there was one more person who loved her and would look out at her… “You really love me don’t you, Darkjade?” Vega teased as she smiled brightly at the window, before being punched in the arm.

“Don’t get used to it,” Max snorted. “But honestly, I’d rather share the flat with a crazy sister than you than with some random Londoner sissy bloke I don’t even know.”

“Thanks for thinking of me,” Vega said gratefully, turning around to smile at Max… who just stuck out her tongue at her.

“Please,” Max said rolling her eyes as she sat up. “I was only thinking of the best person I can live with and bully at my time in London – OW!” She suddenly yelped when Vega turned around from staring at the window to slap her friend’s bare shoulder.

They were in the middle of tickling each other, making a spectacle for the cabbie who probably have seen a scene with bridesmaids tickling each other before, when they had to stop when they finally reached this tall building with a decent butler waiting at the door, as well as a posh and classy café called Gould’s at the entrance.

Getting brewed coffee for themselves since Max admits that she hasn’t “stolen” her sister’s “broken” coffee maker just yet, they march up to the 5th floor with Vega’s bags and coffee cups in hand, before Max had to almost break down the door since she felt too lazy to pull out her keys. Lucky for her and much to Vega’s amazement, the huge black metal door stood steadfast and true, not to mention to have a beautiful silver engraving of the numbers “505” placed upon it.

After almost having her companion spill all the coffee after hastily handing it to her, Max was able to open the door and turn on the lights, before hauling Vega’s luggage behind her, almost creasing her red gown.

However, Max was a little bit shocked to see that her friend remained speechless as she looked around the brightly lit living room.

Vega looked around and counted: Three rooms. A master’s bedroom that occupied almost the entire area behind the left wall, a regular room with a size comparable to the master’s, and a guest room just beside the second loo that is accessible to all. It had a spacious living room already furnished with a modern-styled sofa set that complimented its cream-colored walls, and a flat-screen TV that made Vega think about Max “nicking” this from her own sister. A small L-shaped kitchen was integrated with the living room, with a decent dining table in between, good enough for four people.

Turning around on her heels, biting her lip, Vega turned to a worried-looking Max who can only say, “Well?”

Taking a deep sigh, the woman exclaimed, “I have changed my mind.”

Shaking her head in disbelief, Max dropped her jaw and let her hands fall right onto the silk surface of her tailored gown. “Seriously? Now you’re changing your mind –“

“I want the Master’s bedroom.”

Her friend made an inhuman noise before she was tackled either out of joy or frustration.

 

***

 

Of course Vega didn’t get the Master’s bedroom since it already belonged to Max (after all the flat was basically hers to begin with), but of course she decided to settle for the Guest Room since it was closer to the bathroom. So after having coffee in the kitchen, sitting on those sleek, black metal chairs that complimented the modernist style of the table, Max eventually yawned and told her new roomie that “we have an installed heater in the shower, just bang on the box if it suddenly doesn’t work”, “the entire place a centralized heating system that unusually resets at 3am so you need to restart it”, and that she’s going to disappear tomorrow around 8am to get the groceries she left in her sister’s bakeshop.

They both called it a night, slightly giddy about the fact that they’d basically be having sleepovers from now on, but ended up passing out in their respective beds because of the fatigue they both experienced from Mari’s wedding. It actually took Vega thirty minutes of dozing off before sitting up in the bed like an automaton, realizing she’s still in that almost dilapidated red gown.

Dressed in her jammies and cozy in her new bed, upon waking she would have said that she had quite a good night’s sleep… but when she checked her phone for the actual time, she found herself raising an eyebrow when he realized it wasn’t even 2am.

Sitting up with a sour look on her face realizing that she has no new messages, she just had to check it again in hopes of seeing a missed call from Gale or anything…

Sighing, Vega decided to get up and go look for a glass of water before trying to go back to sleep.

Whether she just wasn’t used to the new place that didn’t smell of newly laundered hotel sheets and peppermint littering the air conditioned hotel room, she couldn’t find the reason why she felt so uncomfortable sleeping in what was supposed to be her new bed. In fact it did seem like a new bed, or it was barely used. Max did tell her that the flat was fully-furnished when she bought it, and Vega did point out that this is the reason why it was so expensive. To how she was able to afford it with being the only one who would occupy the flat without assurance that a new roomie would join her – Max just shrugged and dropped a line concerning that benefactor of hers.

 _Must have an English Sugar Daddy or something_ , Vega said inside her head as for a moment she filled the dark living room with the white light from the fridge when she opened it and took out her own bottle of water from her hotel stash. _I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Fred._

Her eyes adjusting in the dark as she took several gulps from the bottle, she decided to take her bottle of water with her in case she would wake up in the middle of the night again, concerning that she does doze on and off. But the moment she took a step, she felt something move, considering that she did hear a clicking sound when she was facing the refrigerator the whole time.

She stopped in her tracks, completely surrounded in darkness, when she swear that she heard something move again, as well as seeing a dark shadow coming from the side of the door.

She couldn’t make out anything since she left her glasses inside her room and going towards whatever it could be isn’t a good idea. _Could this motherfucking flat be haunted –_ Vega thought fearfully as she dropped her bottle of water and grabbed the nearest object she could grab, which happened to be one of the tall lamps that stood beside the array of sofa chairs in front of the flat-screen television.

With the force of her pull, she was able to unplug it from the socket with one tug, as she raised the lamp that was probably as tall as her, in attempt to swing it towards a figure that seemed to be materializing into something human… crawling towards her.

“Max, no – It’s me!”

Whether thieves or demons could speak, Vega didn’t want any of it as she was about to bring the lamp down on whatever that figure was in front of her. In a split of a second, Max’s door suddenly burst open and even bounced off the wall, as the girl quickly turned on the other tall lamp on the other side of the sofa set.

Vega found herself abrupting her swing of death when her eyes adjusted and she saw the intruder rise to their full height… Their hands up to their chest, as their torso fashioned a pair of ruffled slacks, a loosened waist coat over a wrinkled white dress shirt… topped off with a bowtie that is completely undone. She looked at the tall intruder and dropped her jaw, quickly turning to her friend in complete shock.

“There’s one more tiny little detail I forgot to tell you about our living arrangements, Vega,” Max says quickly, as she twiddled her fingers in front of her faded Paramore shirt. “Remember that ‘benefactor’ who found this flat for me and gave me this huge investment that helped me secure this space?” She gulped and nodded in their direction. “It’s this guy.”

Tom lowered his hands and opened his mouth, unable to speak in the middle of Max’s sudden silence and Vega’s expression which was akin to watching someone having a heart attack in front of her.

Raising a finger and pointing it at one of the groomsmen in Mari’s wedding the day before, the same man whom she refused to dance with, the same man who wore the garter on her thigh, and the same man who was the walking epitome of her dark secrets…

Vega opened her mouth and spoke, “So, what you’re saying is –“

Max somewhat trembled when she answered her buddy’s question.

“Yes, Tom will live with us in this flat.”


	16. Three's a Crowd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon realizing that the three of them are roommates, Tom, Vega, and Max adjust to the situation on their first day at the flat. Of course, Fred joins in the fun. What's the worst that could happen when everything is just perfect?

The least he could do was make tea.

And that was what exactly Tom did after scaring the bejesus out of Vega. But even as Max had her calm down and seated on the dining table, she couldn’t stop staring at him as if he tried to steal her purse in the middle of the street and was even praised for doing it as he poured her that delicious brew of Earl Grey on that expensive china Max won’t say she got from where.

He sat down with a huff once all the glasses were filled, only to find the girl in front of him still looking at him with a fiery glare.

“Oh come on Aeo,” Tom sighed. “The tea won’t drink itself.”

Max, who had put on a hoodie that cold night, found herself sitting right beside Vega, looking a bit anxious and guilty. Touching her friend’s hand, Vega just looked at her blankly, and Max couldn’t tell at all if her friend was ticked off with the revelation for that morning, or was just sleepy. “I’m sorry Vega that I didn’t tell you sooner,” Max whispered, but loud enough for Tom to hear. “I was thinking that you wouldn’t like this…”

Vega looked from the tall Englishman in front of her and to the Hispanic girl sitting beside her. She just ended up shaking her head as she lifted her tea cup and muttered, “So, Tom’s your benefactor. He’s also your roommate. No big deal…”

Max heaved out this huge sigh as she leaned back on her chair. Tom blinked once, retracting his calculating glance at the short-haired girl sitting in front of him, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand. But as he sipped his tea, he was glad that he was able to hide a smile.

“I hope you are truly sure about this,” Tom whispered, setting his cup down. “Is your fiancé the type of man who would disapprove with his bride-to-be sharing a home with a friend and another man?”

Vega wrinkled her nose, as part of her heart sank when she was reminded about the fiancé who still haven’t called her that day. “Another ma – come on Tom,” she answered as she retrieved her hand from the back of her neck and slid it down to cup her collarbone, a move that Tom somewhat found… disturbing. “I’m basically sharing a space with two friends! It doesn’t have to be that complicated –“

“I couldn’t help but be worried,” he implied about the sour face Vega was wearing but tried to deny. “I do respect your space as a woman,” he nods in Max’s direction. “You and Max’s, of course. But as you see, Max doesn’t mind –“

“Damn right I don’t,” Max suddenly piped up.

“But if it would be so much a hassle with you, I don’t really mind looking for another apartment –“

Vega raised a hand in front of her face and flicked her wrist, laughing a bit. “Please,” she muttered. “Don’t leave on my account…”

Upon hearing that, she saw Tom relax his shoulders as he leaned back on his chair, picking up his cup of tea again, looking quite comforted. But that was when Max sat up from her chair and turned to Vega. “Vega, please be reasonable,” she started. “I can’t really throw Tom out after what he did for us! I couldn’t find a place of my own, and I probably would be shacked up with my crazy niece who thinks singing to Barney will make her a superstar!”

Max started pacing, retelling the story of how she and Tom procured of the flat. “My week’s pay has been delayed because of some problems with the supplies that sissy and I needed to fix, and I seriously need a space to breathe in… Then Thain here, this glorious bastard,” she added, to which Tom just casually grins. “Turns out to have a wrecked up flat of himself, and was in need of a place too! Can you see the coincidence?”

Vega turned to Tom and mouthed, “ _What happened to your flat?_ ”

Tom just shrugged and said softly, “ _Really rubbish plumbing_.”

Agreeing as she pursed her lip and nodded, Vega turned to Max who continued talking about her “flat miracle.”

“Luckily this guy knew some contacts who knew some contacts who found this flat sitting in the Fulham area untouched, and called me right away! Funny, I was wondering how you got my number –“ Max said, comically waving her hand around to which Tom just cryptically shrugged. “Anyway, we checked it out with Fred and saw that it is such a glorious piece of work – very classy for something found in Fulham! That’s what the Real Estate lady said! And next thing I knew, he had the flat paid for and put under my name –“

Vega sat up. “He placed the flat _under your name_?!”

Max nodded. “Yes!” The smaller brunette turned to Tom and raised an eyebrow, to which the man just shrugged, again. “Anyway, I was packed up and –“

“Wow,” Vega casually interrupted as she threaded her fingers through her hair, a bit curly with her braids from the wedding undone. “That’s pretty neat, having a guy get a flat for you and have you take ownership of it,” she said, eyes wide as she subtly looked at the two in a different light. “My fiancé can’t even get me a flat –“

“But Vega you don’t understand,” Max exclaimed. “I have to pay him back –“

However, Vega wasn’t really listening anymore as she raised her hands up and went, “I seem to be missing something here. Am I? Are two of my best buddies in the word hiding something from me?”

Tom sat on his chair, feeling a bit of a chopped liver as he raised an eyebrow at the girl.

“ _Are you two dating or something?_ ” Vega suddenly dropped the question.

Tom widened his eyes and parted his lips, as he turned to look at Max who looked as if you offended her by telling her that Paramore has been long dead and Hayley Williams is a stupid lesbian.

“ **NO WE’RE NOT!** ” both of her two new roomies said firmly in unison.

Vega raised her hands up the same way Tom was doing it earlier when she was about to hit him with the metal lamp. “Can’t blame a girl for asking,” she said defending herself, unable to hide the little smile that was sneaking out from the side of her mouth.

Downing her tea in one gulp, Max glared at Vega. “You’re impossible,” she spat, as marched back in the kitchen to refill her cup. During that window of silence, Tom leaned over and glared at Vega, mouthing the words, “ ** _ARE YOU INSANE? DO YOU WANT FREDERICK TO KILL ME?!_** ”

Vega squinted as she tried to make out his words, but ended up raising an eyebrow in surprise when she realized what Tom was talking about.

She was about to retort when Max marched back in, almost stomping, as her friend in her strawberry-printed jammies and her other friend still in his tux had a full view of her exposed legs accentuated by the fact that her big hoodie covered the rest of her sleepwear; as she almost slammed the teapot in the middle of the table.

“Before this explodes into another line of fire we all cannot get ourselves out of,” Max growled, she turned to Vega and said, “I just need to know if you intend to stay or you don’t because this setup is too _weird_ for you.”

Calmly blinking, Vega crossed her arms and blew a gust of air.

“Honestly,” she started, as she shrugged, wishing she also brought her jacket with her. “I would say that this will be the best way for me to save for my wedding, considering that every night at the Dorchester is pretty expensive, and flat’s don’t really come cheap in this city. I’m not saying that I have no choice, but this is the best chance I’d get – considering I get to live that roleplay dream of bunking with two best buddies.”

Somehow, her answer was good enough to calm Max down as the latter nodded as she sipped her tea.

“Consider your wish fulfilled then,” Tom answered smiling brightly as he set his cuppa down.

Sighing, Max finally smiled and turned to Vega. “So that’s settled,” she spoke. “We’re basically one big Mercenary family living under one roof.” She wrinkled her nose and snorted as she said, “Well without Fred and the other girls of course.”

Tom smiled at this idea as well, as he looked at his two new roommates with much excitement in his eyes, probably even more than when he got his first script. It was basically hitting two birds with one stone: He gets to stay somewhere while he finds repairs and adjustments for his flat, and at the same time, he gets to be with his two good friends whom he hasn’t seen for quite a while. _And honestly, that was just the tip of the iceberg_ , he thought as he poured himself another cuppa and taking a glance at Vega as she sat on her seat, seemingly content.

The girl on the other hand snorted. “If we’re one big family,” Vega started. “Should I start calling you Mommy,” and then she turned to Tom and raised an eyebrow. “And Daddy?”

It probably took Max a great deal not to pick up her refilled cup and splash the tea all over Vega’s face. Vega on the other hand was beside herself laughing at her own joke, completely ignoring the way Max painfully rolled her eyes or how Tom suddenly shifted from looking like the happiest man on earth (despite being awake all night) to someone who just lost a poker game.

“Fuck you,” Max said as she stood up, setting her cup in the sink with a loud clang. “And good night!” With that, she literally slammed her bedroom door in their faces.

Still recovering from her fit of laughter, Vega waved a hand in the girl’s cold trail and said, “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine in the morning.”

However, the person whom she was left on the table with just calmly drunk from his cup, avoiding Vega’s eyes. “That wasn’t funny, Aeo,” was all Tom could muster in a cross tone as he politely stood up and strode to the room beside Vega’s, gently closing his door.

Left all alone on the table, Vega let out a little snort and exclaimed out loud to no one, “What did I say?!!”

 

 

***

 

“Well yes it was a wonderful wedding, I wished you were there though –“

“What? Have you tried talking to her?”

“Oh? That happened? Wow that’s a surprise –“

 

Vega was busy hopping on one foot as she wore her moccasins when she burst through her room door only to come face to face with a full-kitchen counter with her two new roomies staring at her intently as if they were kids waiting for their mother to join them on the table for breakfast. Blinking twice at the scene, as she saw Max hunched over the kitchen table with what seemed to be breakfast – a cup of coffee. What was even more surprising was to see Tom standing over the stove, flipping pancakes in a stainless cooking pan.

She continued talking over the phone as she turned around on her heels, dressed in casual clothes, more like the first pair of jeans she pulled out of her luggage, and a decent-looking polo-shirt, as she held the phone between her cheek and her shoulder as she tried to get her hands on her messenger bag hung on her door knob as she held her knitted cardigan layered jacket in another arm.

“Yeah sweetie, I miss you too. I’ll talk to you soon.”

Turning around as she slipped the long jacket over her arms, she awkwardly looked at the scene as Tom and Max pretended as if they weren’t listening in to her talking to her fiancé. “Hi?” she said feebly, flashing a toothy grin as she walked over the refrigerator, getting an untouched bottle of water from her stash.

“Where are you going?” Max inquired.

Unscrewing the bottle cap, Vega was about to take a drink when she answered, “Picking up some stuff I left from work, and completely vacating that room at Dorchester. Want to come with me?”

“Have to go meet up with my sis,” her friend answered back regretfully, before looking up to see Tom serving her a plate of pancakes.

“Won’t you have breakfast at least?” The blue-eyed boy standing in front of the stove asked, as he flipped another pancake before settling it on another empty plate.

Puffing her cheeks with her pursed mouth filled with water, Vega made a little pout as if she was deep in thought. However, at that moment, Max suddenly piped up having eaten a slice of Tom’s “famous” pancakes that were topped off with whipped cream and slices of bananas.

“Jesus Christ, Thain! You _can_ cook! This is tasty!” The only sounds you could hear in the kitchen was Max mumbling as she had two more slices of her breakfast and Tom chuckling by the sidelines. “Amazing! Any girl who can get you for a husband is one lucky little shit!”

Vega couldn’t stop herself from raising an eyebrow as she unconsciously let out a sly smile at Max.

“Oh stop it, Max,” Tom said, giggling a bit. “You know there are other boys better at this than me –“ He said, filling his pan with batter. “—Like Fred for instance. I’m jealous of his English Breakfast Trays.”

The smaller girl with the almond eyes ended up covering her face with her hand as she hid a really ugly snicker upon seeing Max’s face contort from something so sunny, to something preposterous. “Anyway,” Tom continued, ignoring Max’s glare. “Vega, that’s not breakfast.”

The girl who was moved to the side picking up the mug she left on the table the night before that was from her personal stash, was making herself instant coffee from the hot water from the tap. She turned to her tall friend and shrugged saying, “I’m in a hurry, I just need a waker-upper –“

“Tsss,” Max hissed. “She’s trying to keep herself fit for that future wedding dress…”

Vega was in the middle of doing a sarcastic laugh as she stirred her instant coffee mix in the cup on the dining table, when a plate containing two pancake pieces smeared with whipped cream, topped with fruits was suddenly slid on the surface to stop right under her nose. “I made this for you,” Tom said with a bit of softness in his voice. “Don’t starve yourself.”

The girl opened her mouth but she just didn’t know how to reply to that small smile that seemed to have appeared from the side of his mouth as he quickly turned back to his cooking, making himself his own set. She turned to Max who was making a face as she held up a fork with a small piece of pancake over it, who had to look away, trying so hard not to laugh.

Falling on the chair, staring at her coffee and the plate of pancakes, Vega picked up a fork that was set beside her plate and sighed.

Ten minutes later she had one pancake packed in a small Tupperware, with the other dangling from her mouth as she rushed out of the flat (when Tom disappeared into the loo), trying to hail a cab. Unable to flag down one, she started walking briskly, attempting to get to the tube instead. Holding her phone in one hand, she managed to call her fiancé a thousand miles away, who was preparing to go to bed.

“Vega sweetie, what is it now –“

“I don’t know,” she said, her eyes disappearing as she smiled, enjoying how Gale sounded with his bedroom voice. “I was just wondering if you tried cooking an English Breakfast before.”

“Never tried,” the sleepy voice from the phone answered. “After all, I just do prefer a bowl of cereals.”

Finally flagging a taxi, Vega found herself leaning back on the leather couches of the cab as she sighed, realizing that somewhat she and her fiancé are the same… though she did wish he could cook too.

“Yeah, I prefer just a bowl of cereals too.”

 

 

***

 

 

Fred found himself sitting still, halting the way he fidgeted his leg, when he saw Max’s brooding figure enter the restaurant, taking up the space right across from him. He smiled mischievously like he usually does as he motioned for a waiter to give his companion a menu, to which the girl gratefully received.

“I supposed the first night went fine?” He asked nonchalantly.

The hazel-eyed girl peered up from her menu to subtly glare at the man as she adjusted her coat. “Let’s just say that Vega almost ended up bashing Tom in the head with the lamp shade, but aside from that, everything went fine.”

You could actually hear snickering coming from behind the other menu.

Fred emerged from the menu laughing like a madman. “Poor little sod would have probably deserved it,” he exclaimed, causing Max to raise an eyebrow. “I don’t know what possessed you to accept that offer from Thomas.”

“What are you talking about?” Max said, frowning.

“In fact, I am pretty impressed you actually got little Aeo-shrimpy to stay with you guys when you have no idea what Thomas is up to –“

Max placed the menu down and crossed her arms. “That’s weird. You’ve been like this ever since I told you that I have taken up Thain’s offer about the flat. Is something the matter?”

Laying the menu flat on the table as well as he stroked his three-day old goatee, Frederick looked out the window and mirrored Max’s expression. “I just… I just don’t feel comfortable with you living in that flat, Maxi.”

The girl rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. I can take care of myself.”

“Are you sure?” Fred asked, his green eyes searching her. “Are you positively sure?”

The girl’s face suddenly turned sour as she nodded fervently in his direction, her eyes squinting as if she was wondering what possessed him. “I’m positively fine! What’s ticking you off, Fred? I’m with Vega, I’m with Tom! What the worst that could –“

“That’s the thing,” Fred said, moving suddenly. “You know how Tom is. I told you how he’s been with women lately. I trust you being all alone with him – But him?!!“

“For fuck’s sake!” Max almost shouted, flailing her arms up in the air. “FRED, HE’S YOUR BEST FRIEND!”

The man suddenly retreated back into his shell, fidgeting his leg once more, as he played with the signet ring on his finger as he looked away from the woman, scratching his head in reply. “Alright, you want a situation?” Max barked. “Here’s a situation – I need a flat. Tom gave it to me. I’m lucky enough to drag Vega – THE AEOREN, into this you know?”

Fred stopped playing with his signer ring around his pinky finger and took a lingering look at the girl.

“I don’t know what’s worse – the silence, or the tension. I’VE GOT THE TWO OF THEM UNDER ONE ROOF. You know how Tom is when Vega’s around… it looks as if he’s downed three cups of motherfucking coffee! He’s either hyper or twitchy! On other occasions he’s like a hyper bunny! And look at Vega –“

The man across her sighed and said, “I pretty much can say that Vega is the least of my worries here. Have you seen her during the wedding? She would have even done a strip tease in front of the man and she wouldn’t even bat an eyelash! That’s far from the squealing, squirming girl we tried to hold down in front of him back in Laser Tag… and I’d say that’s an improvement!”

Max rolled her eyes as silence suddenly overcome the two diners.

Running his hands through his hair, Fred sighed and said, “What I’m trying to say is… Despite appearances, Tom is definitely not himself lately, mate.”

The girl raised her head from reading he menu and looked her companion in the eye. “I need you to be careful, Max. You don’t know what he’s up to.”

She tore her eyes away from her friend as she looked down at the ground, as if something was forming in her mind. A realization, or an idea, we’ll never know. But all of a sudden, she picked the tall menu from the table and reached over the table, slapping Fred’s arm with it.

“Ow!”

“Shame on you McAllister!” She hissed. “How dare you underestimate my powers?! You know I can take Loki down anytime!”

Fred looked away, feigning pain as he glared at Max in a playful manner.

“Trust me on this,” she said, gritting her teeth. “I trust Tom _because you trust him_. And I trust _you_.”

 

 

***

 

Emerging from a script reading of a new Shakespeare play to be staged in Donmar six months from that point, Tom was sifting through his messages after leaving his phone in his cardigan pocket ever since he exited the flat. He did get quite a series of texts in the middle of discussing with the director on how one scene was supposed to be played, and he didn’t find out till later that they were just reminders from Luke about his upcoming engagements.

Well one of them, was from that beautiful American Journalist he probably met almost a month ago during that Press Conference at the Ritz.

 _What was her name?_ He thought as he walked along the streets, slightly unnoticeable because of the way his hair is slowly fading back into a dark gold, not to mention the pair of sunglasses that sat on his nose that completely hid those trademarked blue eyes his fans would recognize from anywhere.

 

_Hello Tommy love! I’m only around town for two nights, care for a nightcap? Or maybe something more… – Sara_

 

His eyebrows shot up his head. _An actual bootycall?_ He felt like laughing out loud, but then he felt his insides burn with lust remembering that voluptuous woman with her delicious lingerie collection, those stockings that accentuated her hips when he’s eating her out.

He was about to reply when he saw another message –

 

_Mate? You coming home later? I’ve got this brilliant idea for your new roommates – why don’t we see each other after your meeting at our favorite Fish and Chips place? – FMc_

 

Tom found himself stopping in his tracks upon reading Fred’s message. For a moment he was reading Sara’s message, he completely forgot that he now lives with two of his friends. Of course if he is intending to spend his time with the beautiful Sara, he wouldn’t bring her _there_. Well he could, after all Max doesn’t give and damn and Vega… Tom found himself biting his lower lip with what he was thinking.

But still there was another idea that lingered in his head as he slowly started walking again as he thought about Fred’s suggestion of setting up a wonderful meal that he could share with those two girls. They both do know the best Fish and Chips in town and considering that they only spent such little time with both girls since last year, this would be the best time to introduce them to their favorite casual food trips.

And seeing the little sparkle in Vega’s eyes when she was served that plate of pancakes with banana and strawberries…

Yeah sure she was gone when he stepped out of the loo, but seeing her empty plate sitting in the dishwasher somewhat made his heart swell with joy. _Such trivial things Thomas_ , he thought to himself as he smiled as he walked, briefly forgetting about the other message. _Such trivial things you should not even think about anymore._

As he sent Fred a text message saying he’ll see him there in a bit, he returned to his inbox and was reminded of Sara’s little “invitation”.

 

 _I’m sorry darling, maybe next time_. _– TH_

 

 

***

 

It was thirty minutes past 6 pm, and Vega found herself standing inside the lift of her new flat, flanked by a bigger stroller suitcase and another duffel bag bigger than the one she hauled into Max’s new apartment the day before. A little bit cranky because she didn’t get her afternoon nap, she suddenly realized that it’s almost dinner time and she didn’t bring anything at all.

 _Jesus Christ, where are your manners, Vega_ , she said palming her face when she arrived at her floor, greeting the loud _Ding!_ with a sour face. _Maybe Max would be up for pasta and the pizzeria again…_

She sleepily walked towards the door that read 505 and pulled out those spare keys Max claimed that she had duplicated in such a hurry, putting a pink carabine on it just to piss her off. _Little shit_ , she said with a small smile of her face. _I’ll motherfucking lock up her room door with this when I get myself a blue version…_

However, the moment she opened the door she was suddenly clueless about the riot was going on about.

As usual, Max and Fred were bickering as they set the table, two big paper-bag wrapped packages that read “Fish Central” were sitting in the middle, while Tom was busy fussing about in front of the stove again, reminding her of her father busying about and shoving her and her brother out of the kitchen when he’s busy preparing dinner.

“You guys,” Vega found herself shrinking as she positioned her luggage in front of her room. “You shouldn’t have –“

“That’s what I told Fred!” Max said hands up in the air as she moved around the table, tearing the plates away from the tall Scotsman.

“Oh hush,” he hissed back as he took the food out of the packages. “Just admit it that you had no plans of cooking for dinner.”

Next thing you know, the two were hissing at each other, to a point that Vega was glad she didn’t say it out loud that they sounded like two cats in heat. She then turned to find Tom also smiling at the scene, having borrowed Max’s apron, making him look so domesticated and… silly.

“Oh hello there Aeo,” he spoke up suddenly after lifting the lid of the pot on the stove, dipping in a large wooden spoon as he mixed its contents. “Didn’t notice you there.”

Stepping around the two fighting felines in front of the food, Vega placed her hands on her back and approached the man, slightly tiptoeing around his tall gait to take a little peek on what he’s working on. “I hope you like Cream of Asparagus,” Tom said, slightly glancing at her small figure taking a whiff at the soup. “It was the only thing we could get at such a short notice.”

The girl just smiled back, suddenly feeling more at home than ever. Vega was suddenly glad she chose to take up Max’s spare room, because even if there was a bit of awkwardness in that house – she found herself glancing up at Tom humming to himself as he worked in the kitchen, completely drowning out the sounds of Max and Fred acting like children – it definitely felt more comfortable than the coldness and emptiness of her hotel room.

“It smells wonderful,” she said gleefully. “But honestly, you two shouldn’t have...”

“Consider it as a Welcome-To-The-Mercenary-Lair dinner,” he beamed as he sampled a bit of his cooking, wincing when he realized that he just burned his tongue. “Want to try it?” He asked politely, handing her the spoon. “It’s a bit hot though.”

Vega didn’t know whether it was that giddy feeling of being surrounded by her friends preparing dinner for all of them, or the fact that Tom was offering to her warm soup on a wooden spoon which he just brought to his lips… _Jesus fucking Christ Vega,_ she thought as she blew on it, not willing to offend him. _Why are you thinking of a motherfucking wankity indirect kiss right now? Haven’t you put those issues between you and Thain behind you?!_

She was about to take the soup in her mouth when there was a loud _Clang!_ heard behind the two of them, that Thain and Aeoren both jumped and turned around to see what the commotion was about.

Helping a really cross Fred, who was cussing under his breath, wash the utensils that Max “accidentally” dropped all over the floor; Vega completely forgot about the soup. Well it has been served minutes after anyway, and just like what Max and Fred commented about it – Vega did think that Tom made it taste even better than what it was supposed to.

“A toast to our darlings finally settling down,” Fred said as he raised his glass, after pouring red wine for everyone.

“Since when did you have ownership of us?” Max retorted, rolling her eyes.

“Since _never_ ,” Fred shot back, a mischievous smile on his face. “Because I never did.” He laughed out loud as he reached out to pinch the girl’s cheek, causing her to swat at his hand as she rubbed at her cheeks, ignoring Fred’s infectious giggles. “Just because you had that cute haircut a few days ago, you think you have the right to snap back at me like that.”

“PAH!” Max shot back, almost rising from her seat. “Give me a break, Baldain! You say that to _every_ girl!”

Eyes shooting from one person to another, Vega sat silently beside the two friends harping at each other as she finished what was left of her soup in a bowl, after having a few bites of that delicious beer-battered fish and the chips scattered all over her plate. She sat there quietly enjoying her meal, half-exasperated of having to deal with Darkjade and Baldain’s stupid little games, and half-anticipating on what witty remark Max may have prepared next, considering they’ve been at this for almost an hour.

She then realized that she has finished all of her soup, and she wanted something to eat while the entire spectacle was going on. Looking up, she suddenly caught Tom grinning at her… as he slowly pulled out cheese cakes from the paper bag where the fish and chips came from.

While the two were busy throwing punch-lines at each other, Thain and Aeoren were exchanging cakes underneath the table.

 

 

***

 

 

The rest of the night was a blur for Tom.

He remembered Fred challenging the alcoholic Max to a drinking game, after bringing out those Coors that came out of nowhere. (He suspects that Fred must have planted it in the fridge when Max was busy perusing the Fish Central food packages.) He remembered Max almost barfing on the carpet after Fred showed her a picture of the naked belly dancer from Pete’s Stag Do, causing Vega to run into the kitchen to get a bucket for her to throw up in. Luckily, Max has quite a good gag reflex.

 _That’ll come handy eventually_ , Tom thought naughtily as subtly glanced at Fred who was beside himself with laughter, airheaded after having a bottle or two himself. _If they do come around this… insanity they’re making._

He does somewhat remember Vega rolling her eyes at the rest of them, claiming that she has work the next day and she needs to get ready for bed. He also remembers Fred putting on _The Conjuring_ on their Netflix, as he was forced to endure Max and Fred’s screaming and screeching for half an hour before the former finally passed out on the couch.

By the time the credits were rolling, he was sleepy himself. As he turned around to nudge Fred, he realized that the man had fallen asleep as well. Muttering to himself on how the snoring Fred is making this as an excuse not to go home, he picked up the pillow he was holding the entire time while watching the movie and absent-mindedly left it on his friend’s face… as he drunkenly sauntered to the loo so he can take a quick piss before bed.

He walked right in only to realize that it was occupied, causing him to cover his eyes as he backed out quickly, shielding himself with the door as he apologized profusely…

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry…”

To his surprise, he didn’t receive a reply, making him stop in his tracks when he heard faint music coming from the bath. Looking around drunkenly, he wondered who could be taking a bath at such an hour –

He found Fred with his face still covered by the pillow, dozing off in the bigger sofa, while Max was draped on the smaller couch, wankered than ever.

_Then who is –_

Tom suddenly felt a shiver creep up his spine when he figured out to whom that figure in the bath he saw, even for a second, when he entered the bathroom without thinking if it was occupied or not. Hands still at the knob, he leaned his head against the surface of the door, trying to listen to the music faintly flowing out of the speakers placed conveniently on the dry area of the tub, attached to her music player.

 

_Does that scare you? I'll let you run away_

_But your heart will not oblige you_

_You'll remember me like a melody_

_Yeah, I'll haunt the world inside you_

He had to stop himself from taking a glance, or even a peek, as he felt his breathing hitch, still frozen in front of the slightly open door, as he listened to her voice quietly humming the melody to Fiona Apple’s ballad.

 

_I'll let you see me, I'll covet your regard_

_I'll invade your demeanor_

_And you'll yield to me like a scent in the breeze_

_And you'll wonder what it is about me_

 

He knew it – It was _her_ lying in the tub in that moment when he accidentally burst in… He saw her, even for just a second… Her head reclined against the memory foam, with her ears covered with blue headphones… _No wonder she didn’t hear me_ … And he suddenly realized that she had burnt incense and surrounded the bath with a few special candles as she relaxed, the scent filling his nostrils with both bliss and unease, making him weak at the knees…

 

_It's my big secret –_

_Keeping you coming_

_Slow like honey_

_Heavy with mood_

The song was throbbing in his head now, and it didn’t help that he was somewhat drunk. Tom had to pry himself from the door to stop himself from having that _need_ , that dire _want_ , to even take a glimpse of the girl inside the bathroom, sprawled inside the bathtub, eyes closed as she was close to slumbering herself… with her naked body drenched with water and bath bubbles… seeping into that porcelain skin…

“I can’t do this,” he whispered to himself as he backed away from the door, the heat rising from within his chest, engulfing him.

He stumbled into his room, trying to erase that erotic image of the woman out of his head, as a bitter desire swelled inside of him, making him wonder why he even turned down Sara’s wanton invitation for that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Vega was listening to is “Slow Like Honey” by Fiona Apple. A very sentimental yet very erotic song. If things weren’t the way they were, that scene would have ended up as something else. But sorry darlings, we have a plot to follow… so probably none of that. For now.


	17. Rude Awakenings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long and tiring day, Vega wants to go back to the flat and sleep... but Max corrals her into a pub meeting with Lila and Sam.

Tom woke up with a grand headache as he walked out of his room, silently cussing at himself, considering that he had to meet up with his agent that morning.

The first thing he heard was Max’s shrilly voice, as the said girl walked past him, chattering angrily to herself, as she ranted on and on about how Fred ate all the breakfast she made and now she is forced to eat cereals instead. He was about to ask where Fred went off to, when he realized that the girl wasn’t really talking to himself…

…sitting on the table was her best-friend, swaying as she sat on the stool in front of the kitchen counter, still half-asleep in those adorable bunny-printed jammies and that old, faded Star Wars shirt that accentuated her curves despite how loose it is. Tom actually was thankful of his headache all of a sudden upon realizing that Vega wasn’t wearing a bra, as he couldn’t see clearly due to his lack of sleep.

It didn’t help at all that she sat there adorably, even if her mind wasn’t in there in her person, with her morning hair and her glasses sitting askew on her little face… reminding him of that girl who slept in her hotel room in the Langham when he braided her then long locks as she slept in the early morning when the sun still hasn’t risen…

At that exact moment, Vega suddenly slumped on the surface of the table counter, pushing her tea forward, splashing its liquid contents all around the table.

“VEGA!” Max suddenly exclaimed as she got a dish rag to dry up the mess, as Tom found himself sadly smiling as he stepped into the bathroom.

 

 

***

 

 

_Damn. I wonder if Tom got too drunk to cook breakfast. I was getting used to it... – MG_

 

It had been a busy day and Vega walked through the streets of London, savoring the cold night air as she scrolled through her messages. She could have agreed, but it’s only been a day and she did hear that the man was busy with his actor stuff lately. Okay, maybe not exactly actor stuff, but agent meetings, script readings, possibly promotions, but she hasn’t heard from that resident group of Hiddlestoners in the Marketing Department… so probably not. But instead of having to worry of where to stash those random hashbrowns, sausages one day and slices of ham on another, and tons and tons of waffles and pancakes… Vega could say that she could take a break from all of that.

 

And it has only been a day.

 

Despite not having any alcohol that night before (except probably a sip from Max’s bottle upon her goading), Vega may have had woken up on the wrong side of the bed, but it was a productive day. She finally got August to pass her his reports from their latest Event Coverage, while she managed to send Carrie with Sasha on another fieldwork. She spent the rest of the afternoon ignoring August’s stupid whining as she sat beside Toph while they reviewed various designs for the online column… probably sneaking in 9gag past 5pm.

 

By the time the office was almost cleared past 6pm, Carrie returned to the office on her own after saying that Sasha ran off to dinner with a “pretty reporter from Channel 4”, leaving her in the vicinity. Vega, her junior writer, and graphic director ended up having dinner altogether in a nearby deli while gossiping about the other people in their office.

 

It was a wonderful evening, and she walked from the tube after leaving Toph and Carrie to their “nightcap” (more like a little waltz to the coffee shop or the pub), as she made her way back to the flat on foot. She was probably only a few buildings away when out of nowhere, someone tackled her – as Vega swore her heart must have jumped up her throat in complete fear that she was about to experience her first mugging in London.

 

“GOTCHA!” Max exclaimed as she spun the shocked girl around, and dragged her towards the opposite direction of the street.

 

“Come on Max,” Vega whined, both her arms held by her roomie. “I’m exhausted, let’s go home! I want to turn in early –“

 

“We’re not going home, Veggie-pie,” the other brunette said with such mocking laughter. “Not tonight! Not yet at least!”

 

The Nine-Tails Pub.

 

That was what she read when she looked up after being corralled away from the flat by Max, suddenly finding herself facing a run-down, but frequented English Pub filled with people from various walks of life, whether they are old locals, yuppies, fathers out for a pint, and the like.

 

However, it wasn’t any of those old folk that greeted them the moment that the two walked in.

 

“HEEEEYYYYY!!!”

 

The smaller girl’s sleepiness suddenly drifted away when she was rushed at by a redhead and an unsuspecting blonde, as Max stepped back to have Vega pounced on and almost crushed by two of Mari’s bridesmaids.

 

“Where’s Lis?” Max asked as she looked around the almost-full pub, ignoring the way Lila fussed about Vega not wearing the same kind of braids she used to style her hair during the wedding.

 

Sam, who had her arm slung around Vega who was feigning her energy, turned around and looked up at the other woman and smiled. “She spent the entire morning looking for this certain shop where she had to buy these antique bracelets for her mum,” she sighed as she sat on a stool on the bar. “We tried waking her up but she told us to leave her behind…”

 

“She’s still probably sleeping…” Lila joked, a fingerless-gloved hand picking a burnt peanut out of the tray and flicking it out of sight.

 

“Well I’d like some sleep too –“

 

Suddenly Vega had a pint shoved into her hands, as the two other girls called out to the bartender. And that was how the entire night was spent. Well almost all of it.

 

They talked about how wonderful the wedding was, and they talked about that expensive honeymoon Pete prepared for Mari. Lila, who was dressed up like a classy 2010s version of Cyndi Lauper, talked about how she envied Mari finding someone as generous and glamorous as Pete, while Sam told her that she’d eventually find someone who suited her 80s taste and her bohemian style – that Max had finally outgrown. Max, who was in her Bohemian phase the year ago, was now sporting some old band shirts, almost fading – considering that she probably stole it from her elder sister’s stash. Curiously, she started dressing as such, like some alternative band geek, ever since one of the boys started bragging about getting front seats to Sigur Ros.

 

Vega during the entire time, was there, but not in person, as usual. As much as she was groggy, with her head floating up in the air that morning, she was twice as sluggish when she was sitting in the pub with the girls. As much as she enjoyed their company, and she was somewhat reminded that the other girls would be going back home in a month, she was hunched over in a corner, seeming like an anti-social hippie who was busy scrolling over her phone as she silently surveyed separate messages that came from her resident artist and writer.

 

“Hey China Doll!” Max teased as she nudged the almond-eyed girl in the bonnet and the denim jacket beside her, who almost jumped a mile up from her stool. “How about another pint –“

 

Shrugging off the fact she was jumpy and fidgeting, Vega winced. “I’m – I’m not Chinese –“

 

“Loosen up, Vey!” Sam teased, pinching her cheeks. “We heard that you and Max have a new roommate.”

 

“How Maximillian got her hands on a man to live with the both of you is a miracle,” Cyndi Lila said rolling her eyes as Max grunted cryptically in reply, drinking from her glass. “Is he cute?”

 

Momentarily, Vega snapped out from her stupor to tilt her head so she can look at Max, spreading her hands out on the wooden bar surface, making an expression akin to someone giving up on a discussion.

 

“You didn’t tell them?!!” she roared.

 

Foam forming on her upper lip, Max almost choked on her drink. “It completely slipped my mind –“

 

Vega found herself groaning in complete exasperation as she held her head in her hands, pushing away the ale that hasn’t been touched for the past hour. “OH MY GOD HE MUST BE GORGEOUS –“ Sam exclaimed, shaking the smaller Asian girl on the shoulder, considering her overt expressions.

 

The smallest brunette in the group of four quickly raised her head and pointed her mitten-covered hand at the blond. “I didn’t say that –“

 

“But is he cute?” Lila said, flitting her eyes.

 

Bring her hands up in the hair, formed in fists, Vega brought them crashing down the counter, almost startling other patrons. “CHRIST IN HEAVENS, OUR NEW ROOMIE IS JUST TOM!!!!!!”

 

The shrill shrieking from the two girls was enough to remind Max and Vega that despite lacking two people in the group, Lila and Sam could still create a racket. But the way they asked questions and how they prodded and teased Vega about the fact that her “brother” was living in the same roof as hers, caused the girl to raise a finger to catch the Bartender’s attention so he could serve her whiskey. On the rocks.

 

“Oooh, looks like the groom’s got competition…”

 

“Thain and Aeo under one roof! Shocking!”

 

“It’s a scandal!”

 

“Wait till Mari and Lis hear about this –“

 

“Come on guys!” Vega said rolling her eyes. “You are ridiculous! I’m _getting married!_ Tom’s like a brother to me – and if he even tries something, there’s Max to distract him –“

 

Threatening to throw her glass at the girl, Max bellowed. “I’m right here!!!”

 

But Vega wasn’t listening to her at all. “—And if Tom does try something on Max,” she exclaimed, suddenly dropping her voice to a whisper. “We’re pretty sure that Fred’s going to come to the rescue –“

 

That moment she knew she had to duck because a pint glass just went soaring past her face.

 

 

 

***

 

 

_1 Hour Later_

 

Vega swore she might have to avoid the Nine Tails Bar after Max drunkenly broke one of their glasses in her attempt to sock her in the face with it. Luckily, Old Bill the Bartender was understanding enough when Vega had to shell out a few notes and a decent apology for the broken glass, despite Max still fuming and throwing insults at her head. _A whole commotion just because I mentioned Frederick?_ She found herself hiding a smile, unveiling her friend’s little peeve. _How interesting._

 

As time passed, they got even drunker than ever. The stories moved from gossip to just plain dirty sex talk, to something completely unrelated. And the more they drank, the more their laughter became boisterous… as the rest of the bar. But as they got wankered more than ever, Vega swore she was slowly succumbing to something else as she pushed away her last glass and swore she needs to be in bed before the clock strikes twelve.

 

“Come on!” Lila pleaded. “Stay with us!”

 

“I have fieldwork tomorrow,” she said her best excuse, which was actually true.

 

“Alcohol will work as a good sleeping pill,” her roommate argued, not being of any help at all.

 

Vega never felt her eyes hurt when she rolled them. It didn’t help with what Sam said next. “Vega, it’s the only time you actually went out with us! Save us a day, call in sick tomorrow! We’re still going barhopping!”

 

Taking a swig of the ice water she requested from a displeased looking Bartender, Vega wiped the excess from her mouth and slammed the glass on her table. “Barhopping? BARHOPPING?! It’s almost morning – AND YOU’RE STILL GOING –“

 

“Oh you’re such a party pooper,” Max exclaimed, burping out loud as she waved her hands up her head.

 

“Sorry girls,” Vega said, shaking her head. “I really need to bail.”

 

As a resounding groan echoed from their side of the bar, Vega gathered her bag from the counter and stood up, calling out, “If you’re not coming, Max – I’ll go on ahead. See you in the morning.” It didn’t help at all that she swayed a bit when she walked away from her friends, despite drinking less than her friends.

 

She was dreaming of that warm bed, those quilts Max’s sister donated for their cause, and the hum of the heater echoing inside her room as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders, wishing she could just teleport in be home instead of walking a few more blocks ahead.

 

She blinked a bit when she heard footsteps behind her, as she turned around to see the brown-haired Hispanic girl who was taunting her earlier at the bar, catching her breath as she drunkenly tried to run in a straight line… following her path.

 

“I thought you were still going to the Scarlet Door with Lis and Sam?” Vega groaned.

 

Max had to pause and put her hands on her knees to catch her breath. “I changed my mind,” she said in a low voice, before belching out hard in the middle of the street, startling some passersby. Vega didn’t notice it, but Max was holding her lighted phone, highlighting a message as she carelessly tucked it inside her coat pocket even before her roommate could see it.

 

Slouching as she placed a hand over her friend’s shoulder, she put all her weight on the smaller girl who clearly looked annoyed.

 

“Let’s go home…”

 

Vega rolled her eyes. “Yeah, the ‘ _brother_ ’ might be worried, wondering why the Bifrost hasn’t brought his sisters back…”

 

“Oh Loki isn’t home yet,” Max said with a slur in her voice, raising an eyebrow in the dark. “And shouldn’t it be that hot horn-dad who would be summoning us to the Bifrost if ever --?”

 

The smaller Asian girl groaned as she placed an arm around her friend’s waist, trying to support their weight as they staggered along the sidewalk. “His name is Heimdall,” she grunted. “And how did you know that Tom’s not home yet? Are you sure you both aren’t –“

 

“Shut your trap,” Max growled. “Or else you’ll be the glass-throwing target again. You don’t want shelling out money just because you pissed me off, don’t you Veggie pie?”

 

Despite the name-calling, you would hear Vega’s infectious laughter echoing through the night air.

 

 

 

***

 

 

She couldn’t wait to get to bed when she got home. Vega quickly claimed ownership of the loo before Max could get into it, as her roommate ended up slumping on the couch while waiting for her friend to finish taking a quick shower before bed. “Oh bummer, I forgot I had my own bathroom,” Max growled as she sauntered towards her room, completely forgetting about taking a piss as she fell face-first onto her pillow, leaving the door open.

 

“Hey num-nuts, you can use the loo now –“ Vega found herself skidding into a complete stop when she found Max sprawled all over her bed and her dirty laundry, snoring out loud. “Don’t you even close the door –“ she said sleepily, rolling her eyes as she held the door.

 

Before she could completely slam the door in her face, Max raised her head and gave her a toothy grin. “Good night,” she said, waving a hand drunkenly at Vega. “Sleep tight. And don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

 

Trying not to laugh, Vega ended up snickering ironically to herself, making a note in her head not to say yes to Max’s Pub Invitations ever again if she’s just going to end up dragging her back home. Turning off the lights, she took her second-to-the-last bottled water from her one-week hotel stash in the fridge, Vega yawned and dreamed of getting at least seven hours of sleep before she has to get up at 6am.

 

With a content smile on her face, dressed in that faded Star Wars t-shirt she nicked from her brother when she was ten, she pulled those warm quilts along with the duvet all over her body as she leaned back on her pillow and sank into her well-deserved slumber.

 

…but it would only last for an hour. Or less.

 

She was lucky she was deep in REM when the door bolted open, along with the shuffling of feet, the dropping of something heavy, and the aftermath of the door being slammed closed again. There was small laughter being heard in the living room, and the sound of someone squeaking as they were suddenly carried… as the door to the room beside Vega’s was yanked open. And all the noise in the living room died… as they were all condensed in that said room where the voices were contained.

 

“ _Oh…_ ”

 

That was when she was dragged back into consciousness. But she wasn’t really wide awake. Her eyes were closed but her ears were sharp, as she conveniently turned her head to the side, slowly sinking back into sleep as she clutched her spare pillow in her small arms.

 

“ _Uhhhh…_ ”

 

Vega felt herself wrinkling her nose in her sleep. She involuntarily scratched her head as she sleepily picked up her spare pillow and routinely placed it over her face, an old mannerism she does when she’s trying to lull herself back to sleep. Somewhat the mix of darkness and the carbon-dioxide escaping her lungs was enough to knock her back into sleep.

 

“ _Oh yes!_ ”

 

The girl swore that she’s either imagining it or someone’s watching porn. The moans really sound just like it... You know, those female porn stars who seemingly are paid to moan drastically as if they’re being fucked within an inch of their life? The hitched breathing? The shared gasps, the grunting and growling the man makes while he’s at it? It sounded exactly just like that. Along with the accompanied sound of thumping and someone else’s bed creaking, it really did sound just like a realistic porno. Something to that extent. Vega just told herself in her sleep that it’s just Max, the girl’s rather pretty forward and horny, and she’ just… watching porn… out loud… in the room… across her…

 

Without opening her eyes, Vega frowned against the pillow covering her face.

 

“ _Just like that! Do it just like that!”_

_“Uhhhhh! It’s too deep! Just how I want it! Oh baby! Faster! Harder!”_

_“Oh yes -- Just fuck me TOM!!!_ ”

 

Her eyes flew open as she quickly removed the pillow from her face and sat straight up on her bed, clutching her treasured borrowed quilts as she looked around her dark room with those brown eyes wide as saucers when she recognized that other voice moaning in the room just beside hers…

 

That deep baritone, with the desperate grunting that interceded perfectly with how the bed grinded against the thin wall that separated her room from his… That smooth voice that told whoever he is fucking how tight she is –

 

_Bang!_

 

Max suddenly raised her head sleepily only to snap awake to find out that Vega has flung her door open, looking like a madman in the dark thanks to her touseled hair and feral look as she was holding a pillow; her eyes seeing red as her chest heaved up and down as if she was being chased by a bogeyman in the dark.

 

“Veggie-pie, its half-past 1 am –“

 

Quickly closing the door with a silent _thud,_ Vega quickly strode towards the girl sprawled over her bed, still in her pub clothes, asking her to scoot over. “Let me sleep here with you tonight,” Vega said quickly with a whisper as she tried to yank out all the dirty laundry on her roommate’s bed to make space for herself.

 

“Please,” Max said, whining. “Aren’t you a bit too old to have nightmares –“

 

That was when she was interrupted by a loud, haunting moan by whoever that lucky female Thain was boning that early morning, causing Max to raise her head from her pillow with her eyes wide as saucers as Vega stood uncomfortably on the spot, making a sour face as a shiver ran up her spine.

 

“Looks like our pub exit is premature,” Max whispered, blinking twice.

 

Vega actually shuddered.

 

“Scoot!” She growled at Max who didn’t know whether she should laugh, smile, or puke at that moment when both confirmed that Tom had brought home a girl, and had the decency to fuck her without thinking that there are two other women living in the house with him. Of course, the ever-grateful Max would turn a blind-eye to it, considering that Tom somewhat basically owns the place since he did use his money to buy it… But it was Vega was beside herself with disgust and frustration, gritting her teeth as she forcefully slipped through the covers beside Max, as she sat up on the mattress and crossed her arms.

 

“I can’t believe you let him do this!” she growled in a whisper.

 

“I had no idea he’s coming home with a girl!” Max reasoned, whispered back as well. “Besides, she may be gone by morning.”

 

Vega glared at Max who just shrugged at her, as the thrashing and thumping sounds from the room across theirs grew louder. “Come on,” Max whispered. “Maybe it’s just for tonight. Let’s pretend it didn’t happen and let’s sleep it off –“

 

“Easy for you to say,” the girl grunted back as she drew the shared blanket on her body, as Max tugged back in retort.

 

“Just go to sleep and pretend that it’s just the neighbors watching Game of Thrones,” her roomie who seemed to be done with everything groaned. “But this time its Loki fucking all the handmaidens –“

 

A loud slap echoed through the air as Vega hit her friend’s shoulder.

 

“Ow!” Max groaned. “And that’s the thanks I get for letting you in here?!”

 

“Just…” Vega sighed. “Let’s just try to sleep okay?”

 

She didn’t hear her roomie say anything, but she did hear Max grunt in reply… as she tried not to listen to the movement coming from the other room, still loud and audible despite the two of them already half-across the flat with a closed door. Vega closed her eyes and tried to think of happy things, such as warm coffee, caramel macchiatos, sharing one with her fiancée and exchanging a kiss with him –

 

“ _Oh darling! That’s it! Oh Lydia, I’m close, I’m co – Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!_ ”

 

She swore she had already drifted off to sleep, when she clearly recognized Tom’s voice as he climaxed. Gritting her teeth, wondering when will this truly be over, Vega pulled the pillow underneath her head and smothered her face with it, hoping the lack of oxygen will send her straight to chaste and untouchable Sleepy Land.

 

 

***

 

Vega woke up with the worst headache ever.

 

And to think she only had probably two glasses of beer and one whiskey… okay maybe she did deserve that hangover. Partially forgetting why she was in the Master’s bedroom, she saw a knocked-out, drooling Max with her head to the side lying beside her… when she remembered the reason why she came running with a spare pillow to her friend’s room.

 

Peering groggily through her sleep-tinted eyes, she saw that it was already 7:15am, and she’d probably be expect in that Editor’s Meeting in 45 minutes. Reluctantly, she stood up with her head still spinning as she silently yanked the door open.

 

Barefooted, she crossed the living room and made her way towards the bathroom. She had barely touched the door when it burst open – much to her surprise.

 

She found herself standing face to face with a woman who was probably just a few inches taller than her… stark naked. Blinking twice, Vega found herself frozen on the spot as the girl with the wide hazel-eyes and olive skin stared back at her, clearly not ashamed of her beautiful curves, that awesome rack, and those slender legs. “I’m sorry,” she said in that British accent laced with something else. “But you’re standing on my dress.”

 

Her eyes slowly dropped to her bare feet… that was planted firmly on top of an evening-blue velvet cluster of fabric on the floor. “Oops,” she suddenly hopped to the side when she thought she was stepping on a floor mat. “Really sorry…”

 

The girl gave a small shy smile as she snatched it from the floor… only to slam the door closed in her face once more.

 

Jaw unhinged… she suddenly found her face heating up, as if someone lit a fuse inside of her. Mechanically swiveling her head around to glare at the slightly-opened door to the room beside hers, she grunted and marched back into Max’s room.

 

“Max, can I use your bathroom –“

 

By the time she had opened the door and have peeked in, Max was nowhere to be found. Scratching her head, Vega stepped in and slightly closed the door behind her, looking around for a trace of her friend. That’s when she heard the pitter patter of the shower jumpstarting somewhere, and her eyes fell on the white door that separated the Master’s Bedroom from the private shower.

 

“Damn,” Vega said through gritted teeth when she realized that Max had woken up and gotten to the bathroom before she did.

 

Putting a hand to her head as she miserably sauntered out of the door to wait in the living room, she found herself being in the worst position that morning when she saw someone, standing in front of the fridge, half-naked… and drinking from _her_ last bottle of water.

 

She had to watch as he finished at least one-third of its contents… as a bit of water trickled down his beard and down his neck, his clavicles… and that bare chest that showcased those pectorals she wished she never laid her eyes on…

 

Realizing that she was there, standing in the living room, Tom took his last gulp and brushed the water from his mouth, a small smile forming on his lips as he saw her try to avert her gaze on him… As the smile grew bigger upon realizing that she was trying so hard not to look past his chest and his sculpted abs… with the rest of his package hidden in a loose gray jogging pants he wore after his… nightly activities.

 

“Good morning,” he said cheerily as he opened the fridge and returned the bottle inside.

 

Vega, who was clutching her right hand into a fist, wrinkled her nose and looked up from the floor, trying to keep her cool as she shot Tom a feeble smile, disappearing so suddenly as it surfaced. “Same,” she lied subtly and plainly as she walked right past him… completely missing the big smile that was suddenly etched on his face when she disappeared from his view.

 

Taking a lot of self-control not to slam the door closed, Vega leaned against it with her hands on her back as she surveyed the room she abandoned in the middle of the night… as he eyes darted wildly from one suitcase to another, as if she was looking for something…

 

Like a madman searching for something they couldn’t find, Vega grabbed her big black duffle bag and dumped it on top of her messed up sheets, before she dove in and started digging through her clothes and accessories, searching for one particular item she knew she needed the most – _Damn it! I just used that the other day –_ She thought recklessly as she tossed the bag aside and looked around her room, seemingly at a loss on where the object she is looking for is hidden, as she placed her hands on her hips… gritting her teeth.

 

 _Ah!_ Her face suddenly lit up as she moved towards the bedside table and pulled out the cabinet…

 

… and she took out a pair of headphones with the bluest shade of blue covering its entire outer shell, as its design was highlighted with a symbol of a Police Box on either orb that was on both ends. Vega held the infamous Doctor Who TARDIS Earphones that she kept not because of sentiment, but of need… and the fact that it was a Limited-Edition release… as she struggled to keep out of her mind about the origins of how she got her hands on one.

 

“Hello Baby,” she growled as she held it tenderly in her arms. “It’s time to put you to the test, my precious.”


	18. Insomniac

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vega tries to deal with her lack of sleep due to her new roommate's "nightly activities", but are her precious TARDIS Earphones a match against Tom's sexual prowess?

“You alright there, Guererro?”

 

The woman looked up from her files, clearly sleepier than ever. She wanted to kick herself for her bad luck, wishing she just slept earlier and avoided the bar just so she would be so deep in sleep to even notice that there was a fuck session going on in her room. To top things off, she hadn’t heard from her fiancé the whole day yesterday, and it just placed Vega in a bad mood. Well, mostly sleepy than pissed off.

 

In the middle of a general consensus about the new implements for the Way Online Columns, Daryll Meyer who was known for his live exposés back when he was a field reporter for the Magazine Corp, was put in charge as the Assistant Editor-in-Chief next to the Fashion Genius Emilia Brunchard, who is a saint compared to what Miranda Priestly, from that famous Prada novel, really is.

 

But at that moment, Daryll started doubting himself if he was making his own Online Column Editor something reminiscent of Andrea Sachs as she blinked at every word Marketing Manager Tony Holloway is saying, as if he was speaking in French.

 

“I’m fine, I’m…” Vega found herself adjusting her glasses so she can scratch impulsively at her left eye. “Just fine…”

 

She suddenly found herself being offered a cup of black coffee taken from the tray the waitress from the Way Coffee Bar have brought up for the meeting. “Maybe another coffee will do the trick to get rid of that hangover, Vega?” Daryll said suggestively winking.

 

Turning red, scared that her superiors might be thinking that she was doing nothing but partying during her first few weeks in London, she fixed her glasses again as she gratefully accepted the coffee as she waved her free hand around. “N-No, it’s not a hangover… Not at all…”

 

“Oh don’t you fret, my sweet,” said Annalyn Smith, a representative from the Entertainment Column. “We too go to pubs almost every night, right Daryll?”

 

For some reason, Daryll was doing the same nervous laugh his Online Column Editor was doing earlier. “Oh please, don’t listen to her Vega –“

 

She wished she could just disappear in the middle of that weirdly familiar tension happening in the Editor’s Meeting, preferring to be slumbering somewhere else not concerned with work, with friends, with pubs, and “friends” who are busy with their sexual activities.

 

 

***

 

 

 

“Guererro!”

 

Toph had to swerve out of the plump hazel-haired man’s way as he bounded towards his Editor’s enclosed cubicle, holding a stash of papers in a folder. “What does this mean they want my revisions in by five?! I don’t do 1-day revisions! I don’t have time for that!”

 

August dumped the files on the girl’s table as she sat there motionless, wearing her blue headphones as she sported a pair of sunglasses, inside the office in the middle of the day, when the sun is hiding and the clouds have littered the sky. Well she definitely how clear and blue the sky was, considering that she had been standing out in the open, scouting areas for Sasha to report in during that upcoming interview with Sir Patrick Stewart in a few weeks. “Are you even listening to me?” August bellowed, causing the girl to not even twitch. “I have other articles to write, other events to field – Tell Quality that I can’t do this right now –“

 

To his surprise, Vega turns around to face him as she pulled down her glasses to show black circles around her eyes that seemed as if they were on fire with the way she glared at him.

 

“Do you want me to tell Meyer why the Column was late and I’d point out the writer responsible for it, because he ‘ _has no time_ ’? I’m pretty sure it ain’t Carrie because she’s doing her revisions _right now_.”

 

Picking up the papers in the folder flatly laid out on her desk, August backed away with a hand up in the air, muttering, “Alright, alright… no need to be all fired up…” And without another word (except for a few mutterings under his breath), he retreated back to his cubicle.

 

Toph peeked at Vega’s cubicle, wide-eyed like a mouse.

 

“No wonder you were made our boss, Miss Vega,” he said in a small voice as the girl just pushed the sunglasses down her nose and smiled ironically at the boy. “Apparently, you’re the only one who can handle a prick just like August…”

 

Smirking a bit, Vega did a small chuckle and said, “Don’t patronize me, Topher. I’m just having a bad day.”

 

Wrinkling his nose, Toph suggested, “Editors meeting?”

 

Vega laughed and said, “No stupid neighbors just won’t let me sleep,” before closing an article that read “ _Avengers and Only Lovers Left Alive Star Seen Leaving Puza Bar with Upcoming Drama Star Lydia Coleman_ ”.

 

 

***

 

 

Still wearing those shades as if she was godforsakenly mourning a death of a nail or something of the kind, Vega stepped out of the elevator with her messenger bag dangling over her shoulder, headphones stuck on her head, with a grocery bag hanging from her left hand.

 

It was only 530pm, and she had to dodge all of Carrie’s questions and August’s nonsense just so she can go home early, considering that she was already snoring on the Conference Table  even before 8am, considering she almost sprinted out of the flat after that… encounter.

 

Pulling out her keys still attached to that fucking ugly pink carabine, she opened the door to her flat, completely relieved to see that it’s empty.

 

However, she completely didn’t notice the figure sitting on the couch as she sleepily dropped her bag near her door and sauntered over to the kitchen. Tom was supposed to turn around and say hello, but he ended up gaping at her when he saw her approach the fridge while she was in the middle of yanking those terribly blue headphones off her ears.

 

“Is that –“

 

Jumpy due to the coffee and suddenly realizing that she’s not alone, Vega spun her head only to end up glaring at his figure sitting on the couch. “Oh it’s you,” she said gloomily, not forgetting what happened the night before. However, as she turned back to stocking the fridge with her personal stash, including those yogurt cups she promised to share with Max.

 

However, as she was busying herself with fixing her groceries, her raisin packs and cream cheese packets, Vega didn’t notice the man sitting on their couch, gently parting his lips as his eyes lingered on the headphones that were carelessly left on the kitchen counter. “I didn’t know you kept it…” Tom whispered, as his shoulders sank while he sat on the couch, scripts and files scattered all over his lap.

 

Taking a huge gulp from the carton of milk she bought before placing it in the ref, Vega rolled her eyes at him and said, “It’s limited edition, why would I throw it away?”

 

A tinge of pain appeared in Tom’s eyes, but she was too busy drinking her milk to notice it. “Also,” she scowled. “They manage to keep out the noise I don’t want to hear when I’m supposed to be asleep.” She smirked as she mirrored his actions that morning, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. “Those headphones do come handy, you know.”

 

Hiding a triumphant smirk as he tore his eyes away from her, pretending to read from the papers on his lap, Vega closed the refrigerator door. Holding her chin up as she grabbed the remaining contents of her groceries that weren’t edible, she sauntered towards her room. Glad that despite Max being sooo afraid to tell off the Brit that he can’t fuck a woman in their flat, she was able to at least drop a subtle hint that _they_ weren’t pleased. But before she can reach her room and hide behind the covers in an attempt to sleep early and get rid of that groggy state… Tom spoke.

 

“Vega darling,” he said, as that term of endearment that used to burn her inside out just made her roll her eyes, making her wonder why he had to use that with _every_ girl, even his _sisters_. “I apologize if I may have been a bother to you and Max last night, I reckon that must have been a horrendous experience…”

 

Without turning around to face him, Vega mouthed the words “ _Right you are, asshole_.”

 

“But you know,” Tom continued. “You’re right.”

 

Raising an eyebrow, the woman found herself staring at the wooden surface of her door. Wondering on what she would have been right about, and preparing herself to tell him to stop patronizing her, Vega turned around to find him standing up, glaring back at her. “Excuse me?” she blurted out.

 

The man looked down, a small smile spreading across his lips as he laughed to himself. If he wasn’t that much of an insensitive douche the night before, Vega would have thought that his smile was adorable. But right now, the girl has a whole list of rude adjectives she would like to describe him with.

 

“You were right… You were right about me all along.”

 

Crossing her arms, impatient than ever, Vega spat, “Please stop wasting my time, I am lacking sleep, and I have been dying to catch a few Zzzs since Lunch. What am I right about, Thomas?”

 

Like how he probably seduced those girls whom he knocked boots with, he slowly raised his eyes to meet with hers as he licked his lips and mirrored her reflection by crossing his arms. “You were right,” Tom said. “…that I could get anyone I want, whenever I want. And of course,” his smile disappeared as his glare became predatory, as some sort of heat emanated from within him, ready to singe his so-called best friend against the door she was standing with her back onto. “ _I can fuck whoever I want_.”

 

Opening her mouth, unable to retort, Vega found herself being completely flabbergasted by that statement, and Tom’s calculating and mischievous smirk didn’t help at all.

 

“W-Well,” Vega found herself trying to defend a breached wall. “Good for you,” she said, her eyes darting upwards, wondering why she suddenly lost the will to fight back, considering he just lambasted her with those words she used to pep talk him when he was sobbing on his couch a year ago after his supposed plus-one at a Premiere was eyeing someone else, and someone he longed for didn’t notice him… Recalling the details and reminding herself of who is who in that past situation just made Vega shrink in her corner even more, hoping her room would swallow her whole and take her out of that miserable confrontation.

 

To make matters worse for Vega’s loss of speech, Tom may have seen how he successfully pierced through her veil and _winked back at her_.

 

In that event, Vega wished her cheeks didn’t heat up and hoped he didn’t notice her clutch her hands into fists, almost crushing her TARDIS headphones in one hand.

 

“Oh and,” Tom added as he turned his to her, picking up his scripts from the couch. “Trust me, darling, those batteries won’t last the night.” Completely confused this time, Vega blurted out “Excuse me?” for a second time.

 

“As I was saying,” he said, clearly having his ego boosted after gaining control of the confrontation. “Those batteries you’re hiding in your bag –“ he gestured at what was left of her groceries. “Won’t be enough to power your precious headphones for the night.” He narrowed his eyes at her, showing that mischievous side she was afraid he had. “Just to let you know, I am capable of providing multiple orgasms, darling…”

 

She suddenly found herself gritting her teeth, wondering why she had to listen to him telling her of his _capabilities_ , when all he was talking about were her batteries.

 

“…and I can go on for hours.” Snatching his suggestive glare from Vega, who was cowering like an angry bunny rabbit in front of her door, he flopped back to his seat in front of the flat-screen TV, smiling madly to himself. “The convenience store is open all night, sweetie. It’s not too late to buy another batch.”

 

He couldn’t help smiling even more when he heard her door slam closed.

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

_Now I'm of consenting age_

_To be forgetting you in a cabaret_

_Somewhere downtown where a burlesque queen_

_May even ask my name_

_As she sheds her skin on stage_

_I'm seated and sweating to a dance song on the club's P.A._

_The strip joint veteran sits two away_

_Smirking between dignified sips of his dignified peach and lime daiquiri_

 

 

Who wants dinner when you’re fucking sleepier than shit?

 

That’s what Vega was thinking about as she hurled herself into bed, making sure that her iPod touch “Loud” Playlist was jam packed with all her favorite songs from various artists, whether it’s Fall Out Boy or Florence and the Machine, with songs ranging from Lana Del Rey to Prince. She may have thrown a few Carly Rae Jensen songs in there – as long as they’re _loud enough_ to cancel out even the ambient sounds in her room, like the heater humming. Or the ringing of her phone. Or thumping and creaking beyond walls.

 

Speaking about dinner, her stomach was in that acidic state having more cups of coffee than anyone else, that it wasn’t really entertaining any ideas of food for the moment. But with her lack of sleep, her body craved rest more than nutrition that’s why she decided to skip it altogether and prepare for bed.

 

 _Maybe if I’m lucky enough_ , she thought. _I’m just exaggerating things, my roomie is not really a sex-maniac as I think he is, and I’m actually going to rest through this night_.

 

At least that was the most comfortable thought she had in her head before she finally succumbed to sleep.

 

 

_And isn't this exactly where you'd like me_

_I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know_

_Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety_

_Well, I'm afraid that I_

_Well, I may have faked it_

_And I wouldn't be caught dead --_

 

 

She was too deep in sleep to realize that her iPod touch that had been playing for five hours straight, and it started blinking “20% remaining” for an hour now. It just literally gave up and powered off on its own, the white apple sign blinking as if it was mocking the sleeping girl, tucked under her sheets, with those beautiful blue headphones perched on her head, compressing her short hair, making it seem like a headband.

 

Vega probably remained asleep without the loud racket of Panic! At The Disco playing in her head for a few more minutes or so… till something _growled_.

 

She gently opened her eyes to peer at the darkness, wondering what was that sound.

 

_Grooowwl._

 

A hand gently smoothed from her side to cover her stomach, as the girl made a sour face, realizing that she was already hungry. Sighing deeply, she closed her eyes again, realizing that this was her own miscalculation, as she should have brought one of those sandwich dinners from the grocery before going home so she had a dinner backup in case _this_ happened.

 

Trying to ignore her stomach now wearing a racket, the pressure from the large headphones crushing her head was starting to give her a preliminary migraine. Wincing, she somewhat painfully removed it from her head to let it settle on the quilts beside her body, as she leaned back against the pillows to sink back into sleep…

 

…that’s when she heard _it._

 

The creaking bed.

 

The gentle moans.

 

The gasps and desperate jibberish escaping a woman’s mouth in the heat of the moment.

 

And of course, the animalistic growl of a man who knew his craft, as he made sure that his bed rocked the thin wall that separated his room from his “sisters”, making it clear of his nightly activities…

 

With a cold icy feeling as if she was being doused with water from head to toe with the air conditioner placed to the highest setting, Vega shuddered so hard she had to bunch up the quilts covering her from head to toe in one hand as she painfully tangled her fingers in her hair and pulled. She quickly turned to grab her iPod lying overturned on the covers next to her body, she helplessly tried so hard to power it, but then she ended up cussing at herself for not checking the battery before going to sleep since it wouldn’t turn on anymore.

 

Fluffing the pillow disastrously as she repeatedly banged the back of her head with it, she tried shutting the moaning and groaning sounds out by returning the headphones plainly on her ears, but the moment the woman squealed after a series of _ehehehes_ echoing from the other room, Vega knew she had to turn to a higher power to help her get through the night…

 

Shutting her eyes closed she released the quilts and tried to shut out the carnal sound of two people mating in the other room as she placed her hands together…

 

“Lord? If there’s a Lord out there…”

 

She bared her teeth upon hearing Tom punch the wall, as a loud groan emanated from the room just next to hers. “Lord, please, please listen to me –“

 

But that’s when she heard that very familiar voice suddenly release a series of strained noises that would have probably rivalled what he had done in that recording of Dracula, considering that the ones he was currently making was _realistic_ … and positively more _erotic_ than what he has ever done.

 

You wouldn’t explain Vega’s face either when she heard him orgasm.

 

Never has she in her wildest dreams wanted to be an unknown witness to a friend’s sex life. Much more if it was Tom! Tom _motherfucking_ Hiddleston! They were friends alright, they were even best buddies _one time_ , that’s a fact! She had already let go of the fact that she was associated with a world-class Shakespearean Actor with creds that had Hollywood plastered all over it… but after everything that happened and she experienced with him?

 

Vega was now kneading her face with a free hand as she repeatedly punched into the pillow in her other arm, she threaded her fingers in her hair and screamed –

 

“ ** _OH LORDS IN HEAVEN, PLEASE HEAR MY PLEA! WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS?!!!!!!”_**

 

Luckily, her roommate in question and his ladyfriend were currently curled up and intoxicated in post-coital bliss to even hear her scream above their erotic musings over each other. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Vega has been listening to before the iPod decided to bail out on her and betray her was Panic! At The Disco’s “But Its Better If You Do”. Appropriate, isn’t it?


	19. Girls's Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Vega concoct a plot with Lis, Sam, and Lila in order to put a stop to Tom's ridiculous activities in the flat. Would it work?

_Filing for a Sick Leave. Really bad cold and growing headache. Please email me all the issues that has to do anything with the Way Showdown Website. If any other issues persist, please have Christopher Noble or Carrie Williams contact me. Thanks Mr. Mayer. – VG_

_Sick leave approved. Get well soon, Vega. Keep your line open. – DM_

 

 

After having a row with her sister and resolving it the same night by getting drunk in the storage of the Bakery supplies room, Max was the one looking disastrously groggy that morning as she had the first batch of brewed coffee ever delivered by that Coffee Maker that her sister reluctantly handed her after the little tiff in the supplies room.

She was enjoying the sweet silence of the morning, despite appearances…

But it was quickly shattered when one of her roommates’ doors flung open.

Wearing a grin akin to Jack Nicholsson’s mocking grin in both “The Shining” and “Anger Management”, Max greeted her friend a good morning as she stomped towards her in a threatening manner. “Good morning, Veggi – OOF!”

Next thing she knew, the girl had grabbed her by the lapels on her hoodie jacket and had dragged her all the way from the kitchen counter, across the living room, and into the so-called guest room. She was about to close the door when Max exclaimed, “What’s with the commotion?” Holding her hands up in a questioning manner, still wearing that infallible grin that only meant trouble and non-compliance, she added, “If you plan to hide in here, it’s pointless because anytime soon Tom and his little girlfriend would wake up soon and –“

She was interrupted by a sharp slap to her shoulder, causing Max to grab it and howl. “YOU KNEW?!” Vega barked. “YOU KNEW AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME?!!”

Like a paranoid spy, she looked around her room frantically and spotted something, almost making her go berserk. Yanking the inlaid closet door open, she shoved the girl who was supposedly taller and bigger than her, as she hissed, “IN THE CLOSET!!!”

Crouching low as she pulled the rope that was connected to the lightbulb, Max laughed nervously as Vega hurriedly sat beside her in the dim cramped space of the closet. “In the closet?” the tanned girl said nervously. “That seems pretty suggestive, Vega –“

“Oh will you just shut up?!”

Max’s silly face of mischief and chaos melted into something of worry as Vega started tearing at her hair, making it look more disheveled than ever.

“I-I I haven’t had decent sleep for days,” her friend spoke in the darkness, their faces being lit up by her phone. “Well except after that second night in the flat –“ Vega ends up ruffling her hair again. “But that’s not the point –“ She bites on a finger as Max sat across her with a pensive look, wishing she had to take her coffee with her while her buddy tried to figure out what she had to say in that dark and cramped closet.

“Surely you’re not the only one who’s noticed, right?

“Noticed what?”

Vega threw a hand to the air and gritted her teeth. “Tom.”

“What about Tom?”

Making a disbelieving look at her friend, Vega placed the phone down and suddenly started pounding the inside walls of her closet, accompanying it with a momentary jerk of her hips, doing it once or twice… before she realized what she just tried to embody in a gesture, ending up tearing her hair out in front of Max who was trying so hard not to laugh.

But then she just had to guffaw.

“What?!” Vega barked in the darkness, trying so hard to keep quiet.

In the middle of her snickers, Max managed to catch her breath. “So apparently you do care about Tommy-boy’s sex life –“

Max ended up yowling when Vega smacked her so hard on the shoulder. “Alright, alright!” she whined as Vega’s glare manage to emanate something that resembled heat-waves as she obviously displayed how she was so unamused by the entire thing.

“Well,” said Max, chewing on a thumb. “To be honest, it is kind of awkward…”

Vega found herself crossing her arms and making an expression that spelled out relief that Max feels the same thing.

“Seriously, it really sounds like porn in there! What if he hired a camera man and they’re actually filming as they’re doing it – Or maybe he is filming it on his own as some amateur porn video –“ Her friend suddenly raised an eyebrow, causing Max to stop babbling. “Alright, alright I know! I should do something about it…” She suddenly winced as well and ran a hand through her then shoulder-length layered hair.

“You better,” Vega snapped back, gritting her teeth. “You are the landlord of this place, technically.”

“But that’s the thing!” Max exclaimed, flailing her hands in the dark, a small ray of light just keeping the interiors visible. “I’m still indebted to Tom for like several pounds and –“

“ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT YOU OWE HIM MONEY OF THIS FL—“ Vega wasn’t able to finish her sentence as she clutched her fists again, brought it to her face and shook it in the air, and was about to pound the floor with it when --

Max slightly turned her head and Vega suddenly found herself shutting up when they heard giggling from the other room. Both girls exchanged glances and kept completely still and quiet as rabbits as they listened to the sound of soft whispers, gentle smacking, and more giggling as it moved from the room beside Vega’s, towards the living room… and eventually stopped just in front of the door. There was silence… and then you would hear a female voice going, “Bye!” Then the resounding click of the door was heard.

Vega sighed out loudly in relief.

But then all of a sudden, they heard her room door (that was kept slightly ajar) open, accompanied by that deep voice that went, “Vega? Aeo?” Max’s hand quickly flew in the air to cup Vega’s mouth, cutting her sigh in the middle.

Max turned to the girl in question to which caused Vega to raise an eyebrow as her hand rested on her best friend’s mouth, muffling her. The two girls looked at each other with wide eyes as they listened long and hard for the footsteps about to come and make its way towards the closed closet doors.

To their relief, it never came. They heard Vega’s room door close and that was the signal for both girls to exhale loudly, their voices echoing through the closet walls.

“Thank God,” Vega sighed loudly as Max removed the hand cupping her mouth.

“That was close don’t you th –“

The closet door suddenly burst open and the two girls were suddenly faced with a curious-looking Tom, dressed in his gym pants and a loose white shirt, eyeing them from above… as the two girls sat shocked and motion-less on the floor, with matching glares on both their faces.

Closing his mouth, Tom quietly looked away, a bit embarrassed as if he walked in and interrupted the girls sharing secrets… or something worse, making him wonder if maybe Max’s a…

 _No it can’t be_ , he thought as he politely didn’t say a word and closed the closet door in both the girls’ seemingly offended faces. He did admit that his heart started thumping in his chest having found Vega glaring at him suggestively, but despite it was a glare of anger and not anything else, he couldn’t explain why his cheeks heated up all of a sudden…

That was when the closet was shut in complete darkness.

“What the fuck,” Vega mused out loud, only to be answered by silence.

All of a sudden, the closet doors opened up again, causing the girls to almost jump in their place, as Tom suddenly stuck his head in their personal space, cooing – “OOOOH! A SLUMBER CLOSET PARTY! CAN I JOIN?!”

You should have seen the twitch on Vega and Max’s mouths.

“NO!”

Both girls slightly get up on their knees to push him out and slam the closet door closed, as Tom bounced back on his bare feet, feeling a bit offended and disappointed with the sudden act from his two roommates. _So they’re keeping secrets now, eh?_ The disturbing thought made him frown. _I guess I don’t blame them after everything I’ve been doing…_

Seeing the distressed look on Vega’s face before she knelt up and shut the door in his face couldn’t stop him from hiding that smile.

 

 

***

 

 

After spending most of the two hours before lunch and the afternoon hanging around The Steam Room, that silent and cozy Café just a few blocks away, hidden in an obscure corner of the city, Vega returned almost towards dinnertime in the flat after spending most of her afternoon downloading movies, chatting and doing video conferences with her brother and her adorable nephew Seth.

Exhausted and hungry, Vega found herself excited for that night after hearing from Max that she managed to secure (or more like snag) her sister’s portable videoke system, that she’d be bringing to the flat that evening.

The first thing she did was to check if she was truly alone in the flat.

Figuring from her text, she realized Max was most probably still at her sister’s, with the videoke machine and plotting to steal from their salad bar for dinner. She found herself deviously pressing her ear against the door of Tom’s room just to make sure that her male roommate isn’t up to… _no good_. Well Vega could only heave a sigh of relief, accompanied with a roll of her eyes to how ironic things are, when she found out that she is indeed alone in the flat. Once satisfied with the silence of the venue, she happily plopped down on the couch, grabbed the newly installed phone line so she can order pizza takeaways and turned the TV on for the afternoon showbiz news.

An hour later, the doorbell rang.

Expecting the delivery boy, her hot 2-box, 18-inch, 4-flavors pizza and two giant sodas… she was greeted by three screaming voices instead – as Lila, Lis, and Sam were standing outside their door flanked by Max who was wearing this devilish grin.

“Seriously woman?!” Vega exclaimed as she helped the girls unpack the Chinese Takeaways Max brought home. “What’s your plan?”

Looking around with the girls chattering and gossiping to each other as they sorted out the dumplings, the boxes, the rolls, and all the rice; Max licked her lips and smiled. “They do know we’re having flat issues, and we all know Tom is being _Tom_ … but I have yet to specify the details.”

“What?!” Vega mouthed in disbelief as she unpacked a plastic container filled with various kinds of dimsum.

“Yeah,” Lis suddenly piped up as she sat on the couch, looking around. “What is going on?”

“There has to be a reason why we were summoned here all of a sudden,” Sam exclaimed. “Nice flat by the way…” she said as she passed by a _The Art of Shakespeare_ lying on the table.

Max looked up from the food-filled table, overflowing with soup, fried rice, stir-fried noodles, lemon chicken, Shark’s Fin Dumplings, and the like. “Well, what do you know,” she said as she sucked the soysauce off her finger, giving Vega a subtle glance. “Tom got this entire place furnished before purchasing it.”

Lis shook her head and glanced at Max. “You sure are lucky, Maxi,” she exclaimed as she stood up and picked up one fried vegetable roll and biting the tip. “To get Tom to get you a posh flat like this?! And then get him to live with you” She shakes her hand as she hides a disbelieving giggle behind her hand. “You have no idea…”

Max went round the table, waving a silver spoon at the brunette. “It was a simple offer between friends, don’t complicate it –“

“And I was seriously thinking that you bunked up with Fred –“ Sam added.

“WHAT ON MOTHERFUCKING EARTH –“

Vega made a face that resembled something that seemed a cross between impressed and amused as she bit on a rice cracker, exchanging winks with Lila.

“Who else wouldn’t think of that?!” Lis exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. “But now it’s Tom – it’s all Tom! The funds, the flat, let me guess – he even cooks you breakfast doesn’t he?”

Exasperated, Max ended up exchanging glances with a sly-looking Vega, who just shrugged and nodded in Lis’ direction, as she happily hopped towards the Videoke Machine that Lila took out of the box and was starting to assemble.

 

“I knew it!” The brunette in the long skirt pumped her fist in the air as Max just made a really weird disgusted face. “You’re the _new_ Vega!”

The girl mentioned as a point of comparison almost dropped the microphone where all the song chips were stored, just requiring it to be plugged into the flat-screen TV that Tom transferred from his flat to jumpstart the Videoke program. She turned around, looking _really_ offended, as she parted her lips, thinking of the most appropriate insult to throw at Lis.

“Jesus Christ,” Max says rolling her eyes. “That doesn’t even count! In Vega’s defense, I don’t think she ever asked of a favor this _big_ …” The girl in the old _Bruce Springsteen_ shirt walked around the flat, tapping her lips. “To be honest it was actually Tom – along with Fred, who suggested this option. So you have to count out your theory,” she almost flung the spoon at Lis.

Setting the Videoke program after turning the TV on, Vega continued to listen as a thousand ideas went through her head. _Well yeah_ , she thought remotely. _I understand why they did go to Max first… Of course they wouldn’t approach me since they actually have no idea that I was also looking for a flat_ … She reached out to the table where Lila have placed all the rice crackers and picked out another one. _And after all of that, with Gale backing out on our flat plan, the only person I told about needing a flat was Max…_ She didn’t notice how she actually sighed. _But I somewhat wonder if it ever crossed his mind of asking me –_

“But to think about it,” Max said, swinging the spoon around. “You can’t really compare me to that little shrimp over there because unlike her, I didn’t get a three-day date, a treat to the theatre, and got chased back to my own country by our favorite British Actor!”

Vega swore that she was so done with all of it. “Really Max?” she exclaimed, awfully surprised after hearing her words. “Really?! _Really?!_ You guys knew about the entire _theatre_ and _Melbourne thing?!_ ”

“I can’t believe it’s just a _thing_ to you –“ Lis started.

“AND ONE AGAIN NO ONE TOLD ME THAT _ALL OF YOU KNEW_ –“

“Helloooo,” Max said, rolling her eyes. “It’s as if I didn’t talk or phone or message Fred during that entire time you were left back in London –“

“See?” Lila said, nudging Max on the shoulder. “I knew it you were connected with Fred –“

“THAT’S NOT THE POINT –“

Tempted to stand on top of the coffee table where _The Art of Shakespeare_ sat on top of _Greek Literature_ , Vega ended up dragging the videoke mic with her as she stood in front of the group, spreading her arms out wide. “GUYS, GUYS,” she tried to raise her voice, as all heads turned to face her. She winced and looked at Max, who was busy nibbling the edge of her spoon. “Max, can we _please get to the **actual** topic?_”

“What is the topic anyway?” Max asked, rolling her eyes.

Tempted to tear at her hair again, like what she has been doing for the past few days, Vega ended up palming her face as she went close to Max, standing right in front of her, as she almost leaned in her ear so she could say the words only her roomie can hear…

“Come on Maxi,” she said softly, obviously fidgeting with Lis, Lila, and Sam’s eyes plastered on her. “I don’t want to be the one to break this –“

Widening her eyes, the girl shook her head and sat up. “Oh that – Well of course…“

“What’s going on?” Lis exclaimed, leaning closer, trying to make out their words. “Please don’t tell me that this flat comes with sexual favors –“

Wrinkling her nose, Max says, “Where the hell are you getting these crazy ideas, Lis?” She swats something imaginary in front of her nose, pretending to be shooing a bee – more like an awful idea away from her face. “It’s nothing complicated, it’s just _Tom’s bringing girls and fucking them in his room_.”

The whole room stood silent, as disapproving moans echoed from the three other girls who didn’t live in the flat. Vega found herself standing up and shaking her head as she audibly whispered, “Please, it’s something complicated,” but loud enough for Max to hear.

“Seriously?!”

“Wow that’s –“

“That’s  just –“

“…awkward.”

As Vega stood up to clearly avoid the discussion, Max decided to tell them about what transpired during the past few days ever since they spent that first night with all their rooms occupied in the flat. Trying to ignore the disapproving gasps and retorts of the girls once Max have detailed their other flatmate’s sexual conquests, Vega found herself standing next to the table and taking a nibble of the rice crackers from the takeaway pack as she tried not to listen to Lis and Lila asking Max to describe how curvy one of the women Tom has slept with, or what they were wearing… or was, considering that their clothes were just thrown carelessly in the living room.

“So this is your great plot?” Lila said unimpressed, leaning back on the sofa chair. “To use us all as cockblockers in case Thain brings home a girl again?”

Vega and Max nodded profusely.

“Please,” Max whined. “We’re in this with you.”

“Surely no self-respecting neighbor can make love or even fap off in their lonesome when your neighbors are busy singing _‘Getting to Know You_ ’ or ‘ _The Lonely Goatherd_ ’, could they?” Vega exclaimed as she went through the currently programmed songs.

 

“Or Dancing Queen,” Lila added.

“Tom is the one singing ‘Bare Necessities’ in the shower, who knows what he can do with –“ Max wasn’t able to finish her statement when her roomie sharply nudged her in the ribs.

“Oh fuck him,” Vega finally exploded, walking around with her arms raised up in the air. “Let him fuck as much as he wants, we’re just here to let him know that _we can’t tolerate any of this_. Anymore.”

“So this is your way of letting him know that we don’t like what he’s doing?” Sam exclaimed as she balanced her hand on a palm as she placed her elbow on the armrest of the couch she’s sitting on.

“Yes.”

For a moment, Vega and Max exchanged worried glances that their plan may backfire since their three friends may have this feeling of being used. In fact, Lila was frowning during the entire time, running a finger across her glossed-up lips as Sam and Lis sat on either side of her on the sofa chair, looking despondent as well.

“Well,” Lila said, nodding at Sam and Lis who just exchanged glances. “What else can be done? When a sister needs help, _we must comply_.”

“After all,” Sam mused looking up at the dim lights of the living room. “Despite how weird and awkward Thain’s acting, you can’t really tell off that perpetually ‘kind’ and ‘polite’ man.”

“Yeah,” Max grumbled. “He might actually just end up shooting you off with an apology and you won’t even get the chance to tell him off in the long run.”

Vega actually ended up rolling her eyes.

Sam patted her friend’s shoulder and said, “Don’t worry Aeo, this time we’ve got you covered.”

 “Count us in,” Lis said, winking back at Vega as she took the microphone from her hands. “We’re going to sing a message, loud and clear.”

 

 

***

 

 

A tray of fried rolls, two dimsum plates, and one empty pizza box later, there were four takeaway boxes open and lying all around the coffee table, and someone had already brought out the wine and spiked the jug (Max knicked from her sister’s apartment) filled with Coke.

 

_She gave you everything she had_

_But she was young and dumb_

_She'd just turned 21_

_She didn't care to hang around_

_So when the shit came down why she was nowhere to be found_

_This life can turn a good girl bad_

_She was the sweetest thing that you had ever seen_

 

 

It was barely even 10pm but they have been drinking and singing on top of their lungs, almost sounding drunk when they haven’t even finished even half of the wine bottle. But if there was anyone getting drunker earlier than anyone of them, it was Vega who apparently had a liking for this certain tonic that according to her was “better than Vodka and Gin combined”.

It didn’t help that she was already singing duets with Lila as they harped on repeatedly with that song from Garbage.

 

 

_With your cherry lips and golden curls_

_You could make grown men gasp when you go walking past_

_And in your hot pants and high heels_

_They could not believe that such a body was for real_

_It seemed like rainbows would appear_

_Whenever you came near the clouds would disappear_

_Because you looked just like a girl_

_Your baby blues would flash and suddenly a spell was cast_

 

Right after the last line of the last stanza, Vega ended up smiling suggestively at Max who was sprawled on the other sofa-style coach, drinking from her glass with a straw. Her roomie raised an eyebrow, seemingly confused as she listened to the lyrics to the chorus Lila was still singing. But then her eyes widened and she went –

“Delicate boy?!” she said, covering her mouth, holding her wine glass in one hand.

Vega waggled her eyebrows, seemingly a bit tipsy as she sauntered towards her. “Cherry lips and golden curls.”

Lis turned to them, eyes wide as saucers as well. “Your baby blues would flash –“

“AND SUDDENLY A SPELL WAS CAST!”

The three suddenly fell on the couch laughing like idiots, all over each other as Vega ended up pointing at Max, who was bent up over herself, snickering like crazy. Sam had to stop nitpicking at the rice crackers as she sat on the large couch’s armrest as she bent over and asked, “Seriously you guys are mean.”

However she was seemingly unheard over Max and Vega’s joint loud guffawing.

Once the song was over, Lila dropped the mic on the empty couch beside her and jumped in the fray, snuggling beside the three girls who were busy snickering about each other. “Seriously,” the redhead started as she clung onto Vega’s arm. “I have no idea what you guys are laughing about, but I just randomly chose ‘Cherry Lips’ and you guys explode just like this. Makes me feel as if you’re laughing over my singing –“

“Please!” Vega exclaimed, breaking free of Lila’s grip as she sat up. “Sweetie, your singing is perfect. We just couldn’t help but think of one idiotic curly blonde bitch who is such ‘a delicate boy’ –“ Lila suddenly dropped her jaw and Vega couldn’t help but snigger out loud again as she stood up and took the mic lying on the empty couch.

Beside herself laughing, Vega started perusing through the menu, looking for a song to sing. Behind her, Lila turned to Max who just shrugged.

“Damn,” Sam exclaimed, popping another rice cracker in her mouth. “Someone sounds bitter –“

She suddenly shut her trap when Max glared at her. “Either that,” the girl in the old shirt replied cryptically. “Or she’s getting _really_ drunk.”

Unable to hear all of that, Vega let out an excited giggle as she jumped back in the middle of the girls, as a more upbeat tune started playing from the TV screen, with weird words forming underneath the video.

“I… I didn’t know we had that,” Max exclaimed as she flipped through the song book that came with the machine.

Lis blinked twice and turned to the little girl squished right beside her and said, “You sure you wanna sing this, Vega?”

Nodding profusely, the young woman smiled and said, “Of course!”

Leaning on her palm as she cradled her chin, the redhead exclaimed, “But how –“

For a moment when Vega stood up, it seemed as if all her problems and anxieties disappeared. The flat issues, her general annoyance with how Tom was acting in the flat, or the fact she misses her fiancé so terribly did not reflect in her eyes even that once as she picked up the microphone on one hand and sat up on the sofa headboard, dangling her foot on the seat, balancing so she wouldn’t fall over as Sam who stood behind her suddenly felt the need to catch her in case she fell.

“Guys,” she giggled back. “ _Naneun hangug-eolo nolae hal su-issda!_ ”

Lis almost choked on her drink as Sam went, “Huh? What did you say –“ as Lila went, “That isn’t French right?” But Vega had already ignored all of them and put on her best popstar gesture and completely changed from that seemingly reserved and snappy little London girl to a perky KPOP diva.

 

**_O-mo! Yae jom bwara yae_ **

_(Gosh! Look at her, look)_

**_Museun iri isseotgillae meoril jallatdae? Eung?_ **

_(What happened to her that she cut her hair? Huh?)_

**_O-mo! Tto yae jom borago!_ **

_(Gosh! Again look at her, look!)_

**_Meoributeo balkkeutkkaji seutairi bakkwieosseo_ **

_(From head to toe, her style has changed)_

**_Wae geuraetdae? Gunggeumhae jukgenne_ **

_(Why did she do that? I’m curious to death)_

**_Wae geuraetdae? Malhae bwabwa jom_ **

( _Why did she do that? Tell me)_

 

 

The beat was catchy, they would say. But as much as Vega started pulling out all those peace signs and cute Giyomi-type dance moves, Lis knew she was scrambling for the song and the translation on her iPad Mini as Lila and Sam began tapping and swaying their head to the music as Vega found herself kicking off all the empty cartons and boxes off the somewhat sturdy coffee table as what simply started as a night of subtle rebellion (disguised as a night of fun) suddenly became something epic akin to what happened a year before in the Lucky Star Videoke Center.

 

“Damn,” Max exclaimed as she sat up, grabbing her phone to video the spectacle of Vega dancing on top of the coffee table with Sam, who bravely joined her despite the questionable fact if the table could support the two of them. “Fred would be kicking himself for missing this –“

 

“Yeah,” Lis asked as she remained on the seat next to the girl. “Why won’t Baldain make it tonight?”

 

Max shrugged as she took the iPad Lis handed her to take a look at the lyrics of the song Vega was singing. “Some sort of Launch Afterparty, methinks,” she exclaimed, fixing her cam settings as she continued to video the girls making a racket on the table.

 

 

**_I got a boy meotjin! I got a boy chakhan!_ **

_(I got a boy, a handsome one! I got a boy, a kind one!)_

**_I got a boy handsome boy nae mam da gajyeogan_ **

_(I got a boy handsome boy, who took all my heart)_

**_I got a boy meotjin! I got a boy chakhan!_ **

_(I got a boy, a handsome one! I got a boy, a kind one!)_

**_I got a boy awesome boy wanjeon banhaenna bwa_ **

_(I got a boy awesome boy, I must have really fallen for him)_

 

 

This Vega who was winking and bumping hips with Lis as she jumped off the table (probably in silent fear that she’d crash it) and started singing to the girls as she stood in front of the television set, was completely different from the Vega who sang “Say You Don’t Want It”. The cute gestures, the giggling, and the fact she was singing a Korean Pop Song without looking at the lyrics just revealed a whole new side of her that she definitely didn’t share with anyone.

“I got a boy, eh?” Max snorted as she read through the iPad before tossing it back on the sofa (much to Lis’s chagrin as she shouted a “Hey, be careful!”) when she got up her feet to circle her as she held the camera in her face. “I hope you’re singing about your fiancé!”

“Of course I am!” Vega shot back quickly, before jumping back to belt her lungs out, as her other friends amusingly just danced to a song they didn’t really understand.

 

**_Nan jeongmal hwaga na jukgesseo_ **

_(I’m really angry)_

**_Nae namjan nal yeojaro anboneun geol_ **

_(My boy doesn’t look at me as a girl)_

**_Magyeonhal ttaen eotteokhamyeon naega jokenni?_ **

_(What should I do when I feel hopeless?)_

**_Jilturado nage haebolkka? Soksanghae! Eotteokhae! Na?_ **

_(Should I make him feel jealous? I’m so upset! What do I do?)_

**_Maldo an dwae! Maldo an dwae!_ **

_(No way! No way!)_

 

 

By this time, the girls have their eyes plastered on the TV screen, singing along with the English versions of Girls’ Generation’s “I Got A Boy”. Lila and Sam have slung their arms over Vega’s shoulder as the three swayed in place as the latter owned the song as if it was hers to begin with, shaking her hips as if she actually practiced this performance for days on end.

 

Max was busy preserving all of this in video… when she suddenly had to raise her head when she heard the front door creak open.

 

Unnoticed over the sound, the music, and Vega singing her heart out thanks to the influence of gin, tonic, and coke… Thomas strode in with an undone tie, stunning in a three-piece suit that was obviously ruffled, his waistcoat unbuttoned, along with a few red marks obviously plastered on his cheek, smeared on his lips, and a few more found down his neck…

 

As Max subtly turned the camera off as the joyous festive expression on her face of having to catch her best-friend losing it over just a bit of alcohol, and singing in a foreign language like a drunk tourist who forgot that she wasn’t in Chinatown.

 

Slowly, Lila and Sam turned their heads in the direction of the front door, as Lis stood up from the sofa, clearly disturbed by the situation.

 

To make matters worse, they saw Tom with his arm behind him… reaching out and holding the hand of a girl in a slim and slender turquoise blue dress, with the color of her lips matching the red that was smeared all over his face.

 

However, the air in the venue just got thicker… when another woman wearing the same shade of lipstick stepped into the light, wearing a cocktail ensemble with a plunging neckline… with the tips of her fingers attached to his hips.

 

Despite the sudden appearance of their prodigal roommate…

 

Vega’s eyes were still attached to the screen as she continued singing as if she didn’t care whether it rained, stormed, or hailed… Giving it her all as if it was the first song she belted out that night, considering that it was her fifth after having a tug of war with Lila over the microphone.

 

  
**_Eonjena nae gyeoten naepyeoni dwaejugo_ **

_(Always next to me, it’s you)_

**_Gwi giullyeojuneun_ **

_(Who’s on my side and listens to me)_

**_Neo oh --_ **

_(You oh) –_

 

The woman was suddenly snapped out of her performance trance when Lila, whose eyes were still subtly glaring at Tom and his two visitors, tapped on her on the shoulder. Vega, seemingly plussed for a bit to be interrupted for the first time during her KPOP performance, turned an inquiring eye towards the redhead, but when she turned to the direction Lila was looking at… Her voice broke altogether.

 

She didn’t drop the mic, but you could also see the glee and the energy drain from her face, as you could hear her tone drop. She didn’t wear that face of contempt like the four girls were doing, but she was sporting something akin to horror and a sudden flash of nervousness when she saw Tom staring back at her in a bit of awe, having seen a piece of her house-based videoke performance.

 

And despite the fact that no word was said amidst the thick tension in the room ever since Tom stepped in… the upbeat melody of the videoke machine continued playing in the background.

 

“Well,” came that lustrous baritone that escaped the tall man as his voice drowned out the silent giggles of his female companions and broke the awkward silence. “I’m really sorry for disturbing you girls,” he spoke as he silently whispered in between interjections to the two girls who suddenly linked hands and made the quick dash towards his room upon his instruction. “But I’ll – I mean, _we’ll_ be in my room.”

He slowly walked towards his door that was left ajar by the two brunettes, one with olive skin and another with a beautiful yellow-white porcelain complexion, something Fred would have outright noted that was Tom’s fixation for the meanwhile. _Well, not really for a meanwhile but for a long while_ , he would have had commented…

 

Max found herself crossing her arms as she was about to make a retort, but Tom apparently spoke first. “Don’t you worry,” he spoke to the girls who seemed to have their tongue frozen to even shoot him down with questions or even judgmental comments. “We’ll be very quiet. Please, carry on with that beautiful singing that will definitely be the background to our…” Tom shot out a small smile as he laughed to himself. “ _Activities_.”

 

Lis opened her mouth to say something, but she ended up looking at Vega to see what the girl had probably been projecting on her face, only to find out that the girl was looking somewhere else as she nervously turned the engagement ring around her finger when she’s bothered… Max on the other hand raised an eyebrow and was quietly mouthing in Tom’s direction the words _Don’t do this._

 

“Please carry on with the merrymaking,” Tom urged the flabbergasted females in the living room as he neared his door. “I promise to join you… after hours.”

 

Before entering the slightly open door however, he winked at Lis and said, “Nice braid.”

 

He did one final gesture of giving the girl with the mic a soul-piercing gaze as he looked at her figure from head to toe, taking in that domesticated look of hers with the glasses, with old leggings covered by a loose Doctor Who shirt and a hoodie. The man then tore his eyes from Vega who regretted raising her gaze from the utterly used coffee table, as he licked his lips and closed the door.

 

As giggles were heard within the room, Vega was the first to actually move from the frozen statue array the four of them made in the living room, as she completely ignored the next upbeat Japanese song lined up in the Videoke and ended up throwing the mic on the couch with an arc of her arm. It did a loud and resounding thump that resonated through the speakers, as Max felt herself screaming “OI BE CAREFUL” in the same tone Lis did earlier when she threw her iPad on the same couch.

 

Vega fell on her seat, her eyes just beginning to flare up like embers awakened, as she started muttering loud curses under her breath, clearly prompted by the thin layer of potent alcohol that was messing with her brain…

 

“ ** _JERKWAD, CUNTBAG, DOUCHEFACE –_** “

 

To her surprise, Max suddenly pushed Lila and Sam aside to get to her roomie sitting in an angry trance beside the abandoned videoke microphone, grabbing the item in her hand, screaming, “I DON’T CARE WHAT HAPPENED, I DON’T REALLY GIVE A DAMN ON WHAT’S ABOUT TO HAPPEN – BUT WE CARRY ON SINGING.”

 

Lis nods as Lila and Sam snap out of their shocked trances, with one of them running for the TV remote left on the dining table, in an attempt to heighten the TV’s speakers.

 

“WHATEVER YOU DO, SING LOUDER!”

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

_I'm no Barbie doll_

_I'm not your baby girl_

_I've done ugly things and I have made mistakes_

_And I am not as pretty as those girls in magazines_

_I am rotten to my core if they're to be believed_

_So what if I'm no baby bird hanging upon your every word?_

_Nothing ever smells of roses that rises out of mud_

 

It had barely been an hour and there was a loud knocking coming from the front door. Walking past Lila who was singing more loud Garbage songs on the top of her lungs, Max had to step over Sam and Lis who were busy playing loud group games such as Space Team where they had to scream at each other’s faces while piloting an imaginary space craft. Finally getting to the door, she opened it only to find out a man taller than Baldain standing in front of her, along with his equally blonde and cross wife who didn’t look happy at all.

“Good evening,” the woman spoke, really unhappy. “But we’re the couple from 510 just right down the hall…”

Vega, who had her glasses askew as she sat in front of the messy dining room table, raised her head from her supposed hang-over water treatment, taking a good look at what was going on despite the loud singing and shouting from the living room.

“But I’m afraid to tell you that your apartment is _a tad too noisy at 11 in the evening._ ”

Max found herself opening her mouth as she turned to look at the smaller girl with the almond-shaped eyes that shrunk even smaller due to the mix of the sleepy and drunk disposition she was in, as Vega rose from her seat and stepped over Lis (who paused the game she was playing with Sam) and gave the redhead a nod.

Lila then closed her mouth and nodded back solemnly, as she prepared to put the videoke on pause.

The girl holding the door then palmed her face as the music disappeared, looking more ashamed and apologetic than ever as she turned to the two distraught neighbors of theirs. The bothersome truth is that they were barely been instated in the flat for a week and they’re already causing trouble. And the stern and disapproving faces of Mr. and Mrs. Holloway was enough to cement that shame onto Max and Vega as they stood there helpless in a somewhat trashed flat, ridden with Chinese takeaway, red wine cups, and pizzeria hot sauce packets littered everywhere thanks to their drunken stupor.

“We’re really sorry –“

All of a sudden, Mr. & Mrs. Holloway’s expressions suddenly changed from exasperated to something shocked, as their eyes suddenly widened and their eyebrows shot up when they heard something _peculiar_ coming from somewhere in the flat they were facing.

It was the most peculiar sound that even the girls had to make sour faces when they heard it.

There was that sound of a man grunting as a woman replied to his every vocal retort.

Another sound of a woman with a higher pitch was screaming “ _YES!_ ”

“ _HARDER!”_

_“FUCK ME YOU SHAKESPEAREAN BRUTE!”_

_“YOUR TONGUE TRULY IS MAGICAL!”_

_“DEEPER –“_

_“FUCK ME LIKE I AM YOUR WAR CONQUEST MY KING –_ “

Along with squeals and sounds rising up in the heavens, muffled by a door and probably walls that were attempted to be soundproofed, each cry and musings of ecstasy were accentuated by a loud and roaring thump and grind of furniture being rammed into thick, stone-cold walls…

Lis found herself picking up the pillow she was lying on and she propped it onto her face in shame. Sam bit her lip and looked away, exchanging worried and exasperated glances with the redhead on the couch who looked as if her ears were violated.

Max winced as she looked at the shocked couple that stood in front of their door, even looking scandalized than when they first approached the flat with their concerns about the sounds the girls were making.

Apparently, without the videoke machine, the sounds would even be worse.

“Please,” Mr. Holloway exclaimed after gulping. “Whatever you were doing, do continue.”

“I beg of you,” Mrs. Holloway added, making a sour face.

Maxine nodded profusely saying, “We’re truly sorry,” as she turned around to instruct Vega – who was busy palming her face even more than what she was doing earlier, as she groggily looked up from her position, looking completely done with the situation. “Vega, could we have the music back on please?”

“Well if they insist –“

The couple were clearly gritting their teeth as they exclaimed, “ _Yes please we do insist_.”

The smaller woman turned to Lila and nodded as she unmuted the television and the soothing sound of the carousel-sounding, ear busting videoke background music started filling the room… as it seemed to be a heavenly noise who seemed to be just wanting some more sleep. After apologizing one more time and the couple politely thanking Max and her “roommates” for complying, they finally left and made for their own flat down the hall.

By the time the door was closed, Max turned around and looked as if she was about to barf. Her roomie on the other hand seemed to have wakened up from her drunken spell as she violently marched up to Maxine and was almost growling when she exclaimed: “ _This bullshit has to stop._ ”

Her friend just sighed, crossed her arms and said, “You know what, Veggie-pie… I can’t.”

“What?!” Vega barked back, her eyes reduced to slits as she winced and made a face akin to someone’s request for life-support rejected.

By this time, Lila had stopped singing and was just looking at the two women who supposedly “owned” or “rented” by the flat, as their supposed “Landlord” was busy being a sex-maniac, luckily unheard of as he was drowned out by the karaoke music. Even Lis and Sam have put down their gadgets to take a gander at Max and Vega’s heated discussion.

“I don’t have the courage,” Max tried to explain flatly. “As much as you won’t believe it – I am somewhat afraid of Tom. I haven’t seen him mad before, but I don’t want to try. You do have to remember that he did play a murderous villain in a series of blockbuster movies… You have to admit he is kind, but what else if you get on his bad side?”

Vega was now sporting a thin line for a mouth as she crossed her arms and glared at Max.

“I ain’t doin that to our landlord, sister.” Max clearly stated, towering over Vega. “Now you – you’re that one person he listens to.” Now as the woman made a face, Max found herself rolling her eyes and saying, “Well I suppose I can say – _he used to listen to._ ”

The woman shrugged much to the chagrin of the smaller girl. “You march up to him. You do it.”

The silence amidst the videoke machine and the beeping sounds of Lis and Sam’s gadgets seemed to emanate from the room as a silent glare was exchanged what were believed to be two of the closest Mercenaries in their clique. However, it was Vega who first reacted and broke from the psychological trance, shaking her head and eventually her finger at Max who – unusually – did not break into a sly grin this time, as she just retorted with a helpless sigh and a shrug.

Tired, sleepy, exasperated, and trying to nurse a hangover, Vega who was still busy shaking her head, just found herself opening the fridge and popping another bottle of beer open, even if she swore that she already had her last bottle that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Naneun hangug-eolo nolae hal su-issda!” means “I can sing in Korean!” Songs featured in this chapter is “Cherry Lips” by Garbage, “I Got a Boy” by SNSD/Girls’ Generation, and “Why Do You Love Me” by Garbage again. It’s freaky, but “I Got a Boy” has always been one of my favorite songs. But now that I read the translation, it’s AMAZING that it somewhat relates to Vega, the changes in her appearance, her love for her fiancé, and her idea of a perfect guy… that seems to apply to someone else, no matter what she says.


	20. The Great Pudding Theft

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never has a pudding cup been so unbearable and desecrated before that it changes the lives of two so-called best friends forever.

Vega woke up later than what she expected.

Well she does admit that she almost drank herself till she couldn’t stand up, that three of the girls had to carry her to her room. In fact most of them took too much alcohol in an attempt to ignore the weird noises coming from that one isolated room. Max does remember calling the girls a cab, and almost pushing Lis down the stairs mistaking the stairs door as the elevator. But upon waking up in her room with the door slightly ajar at 10am, Max found out from her texts that the three got home safely… albeit a bit too drunk, if you asked the doorman.

The moment she saw that it was almost an hour before noon; Vega found herself apologizing to her boss again, sending instructions to her team via phone and ignoring her Senior Writer’s condescending texts altogether. She swore she saw a text or two from her fiancé asking her how she was, how the new flat was, and apologizing that he wasn’t calling lately due to network issues.

However, that feeling of accomplishment just crashed into something sour and awful when she walked out of her doors and gobsmack into the living room.

 

_Let's take my body and we'll cover it with honey_

_Stick some money to the honey, now I'm covered in money, honey_

_I go outside onto the ledge and push my ass against the glass_

_You can act like you don't know me_

 

What made Vega’s blood boil was the fact that the one tool she thought would liberate her from her flat woes the day before was currently in the hands of the so-called “antagonist” in her life, as he pranced about in the living room, wearing only his gym shorts and another thread-bare shirt that clearly was boasting those muscles he was slowly gaining during his day-trips to the gym, when he’s not doing his script-reading, agent-meetings, promotional plots… or fucking his numerous “girlfriends”.

What even made her see red is the fact that Tom was grinning when he looked in her direction, only for the smile to melt into a sly grin as he carefully flicked his eyes back to the screen… as if to ignore the fact that she bounded out of the room with her ruffled shirt, black leggings, and glasses propped on her head with her hair completely messed up as if she went to a girl fight.

Fred sat on the couch, laughing as if he saw everything, yet his face looks as if he would admit to nothing.

_I told you I was freaky (I told you I was freaky baby)_

_You didn't believe me (Don't look at me)_

_I told you I was freaky (Look at me)_

_Girl, let's get freaky_

 

“There you are,” Vega exclaimed sleepily, but in a murderous tone as she approached Max who seemed more dazed than her as she rummaged through a plastic bag filled with groceries. “What’s that?” she inquired in a groggy manner as she tiptoed to look over Max’s shoulder.

“Fred did the groceries for me since I need Hazelnut for my coffee,” Despite being awake and sunnier than what Vega looked like, Max had a more murderous woke-up-the-wrong-side-of-bed tone, considering that at the end of the night, Vega had drunk more bottles than she did.

“Here’s the Greek yogurt you requested,” Max grunted as she set the big case on the wooden counter, as Vega picked it up with amazement, as if the thing woke her up.

“Thanks… Wow,” she mused as she saw Max pick up a pack of yellow-colored round plastic cups, with liquid jelly-looking substances inside. “What’s that?”

“It looks like –“

Suddenly, Tom spoke up from the middle of “I Told You I Was Freaky” only to say, “That’s my pudding, Maxi. Finest seasonal pudding that Fred found from me, fresh from the east… Been waiting for that forever,” There seemed to be a bit of urgency and for the first time the girls saw a glint of “don’t-touch-my-stuff” in Tom’s eyes as he looked at the woman, seemingly asking for her to put it down or put it in the ref. “You can have some, if you like. Just let me know. But I would prefer if it’s untouched for now.”

For some silent seconds, Vega and Max exchanged sleepy glances.

Shrugging, Vega picked up her Yogurt and opened the ref door, leaving it on one of the trays. She absent-mindedly mumbled on the way back to her room, “Hey Fred. Thanks for buying the groceries for me…”

The brown-haired man looked up at winked at Vega, muttering back, “Anytime Vega.”

Wrinkling her nose at him, she could still see at the corner of her eye how Tom was singing and waving his hips around (almost waving his junk that was clearly showing its contour from his tight gym shorts) as he sang to that suggestive song, obviously ignoring her.

Rolling her eyes, Vega thought of going back to sleep.

“At least you bring home groceries and not girls,” she said completely out of context, without filter, due to her lack of sleep. “You’re a good man, Fred.”

With that she slammed the door closed just as Tom finished his song. He didn’t turn around but he almost dropped the microphone from his hands after hearing her statement. He then slowly turned around to face Fred who was clearly just shrugging when their eyes met, while Max – who turned around to see how he reacted – slowly turned her back on the two again, working on the groceries, hiding a small smile on her face.

Shaking his head, Fred let out a chuckle as he sat on the couch, watching Tom line up a few more songs from Queen, Sigur Ros, Daft Punk, and a Weird Al Yankovic. “What did you do now?”

He just laughs back sarcastically, putting the videoke songs on hold as he turned around to grin at his friend, running a hand through his hair. He licked his lips and thought of how he was supposed to be exhausted with what happened the night before. In fact, he only gathered most of his strength just so he could jump out of bed, send those girls off, and see what his two roommies and his best friend would be up to.

“Well –“ He looked over to see Max, with her back turned to him, moving to take the eggs out of the bag as she took two slices of bread and a pan, possibly to attempt making French toast. “You do know that I did get Mandy and Leigh to come with me tonight after the party –“

Fred almost choked on his own snickering. “You did –“

Making a motion with his hands, Tom whispered, “And then I took them here –“

“No kidding,” Fred said, raising an eyebrow. He suddenly gasped. “But the girls were having videoke here yesterday –“

Tom suddenly widened his eyes and pointed as his friend as Fred disbelievingly shook his head, made a face that was a cross between laughing and groaning, before palming his face. “That is low, Thomas,” Fred hissed, just loud enough for his friend to hear. “In front of our sisters? That’s low –“

“Not in front of them!” Tom retorted. “I had the room closed –“

Fred winced and said, “But seriously –“

“You won’t believe how limber Leigh was.”

The brunette dropped his jaw. For a moment, he completely forgot about chastising his friend for creating a sexually deviant commotion in the flat where their female friends were present. “You’re kidding me.”

Tom nodded as he gestured over his face and making a huge rectangle with his arms over his crotch area, sort of demonstrating which girl was positioned where the night before. Fred opened his mouth and covered it with his hand, unbelievably looking at him, looking more impressed than disgusted as what he looked like earlier.

“She did –“

“Oh yes she did –“

“But she and Mandy boasted that they used to be part of the Cheerleading Team in Middle School –“

“Absolutely true based on their skill sets.”

“You lucky cow –“ Fred silently cheered him, trying not to get up so not to catch Max’s attention as she stirred and mixed the ingredients for her toast in the kitchen. He suddenly sat up and pointed at finger at his thespian friend. “Please tell me that you’re going to go on a break on this mental parade of yours –“

Tom crossed his arms and smiled. “Maybe,” he hinted. “Maybe not.”

He licked his lips and added, “But I’m quite sure Leigh will be back tonight as I reward her with some sweet pudding –“

As Tom winked at his friend and Fred bit his lip and aimed a pillow at his face, they didn’t notice how Max cringed as she stood in front of the heated pan as she heard every single word that was exchanged between their two male friends. As she cooked, making a bitter face, she suddenly found herself disgustingly staring at the two packets of pudding sitting on the counter right across her, as if she saw how it was about to commit a horrible crime later that night.

 

 

***

 

 

_Stay away from the pudding. It’s to be used for unholy purposes tonight. - MG_

_What the fuck are you talking about – VG_

_Let’s just say that the pudding is about to be desecrated tonight. – MG_

_What. – VG_

Vega found herself frowning and making a disgusted face similar to what Max was making earlier when she read those text messages from her roomie just when she just had the first sip of her skinny latte in the Steam Room.

Palming her face as she set her phone down, she stared at her order of bagel and white cream cheese as her coffee blew off steam that would be akin to what she was feeling right at that moment, as she waited for her nephew and her brother to answer her chats on Skype. Often she hid in this new favorite coffee spot that was familiar to both Max and Fred. She had no idea if pretty-boy-sir-fuck-a-lot knew about it too, but at the back of her mind she preferred it if Tom didn’t so that she could at least stay at a place without burning the air with what she called as “non-existent” tension and stress.

It was also the best place where she can talk to Gale without the possibility of Max eavesdropping on her, after that occasion where she suddenly opened her door to find her mischievous roomie wagging her eyes in her direction, causing Vega to chuck a Cheeto in her face. However, despite of Gale’s busy schedule, that sudden trip to Geelong he had with his family, the most they could do was chat online…

 

**_Vega G.:_ ** _Sebby I miss you…_

****

**_Gale H.:_ ** _L.o.l. Vey. I thought you didn’t want to call me Seb anymore?_

**_Vega G.:_ ** _Did I just call you Seb?_

**_Gale H.:_ ** _Ye, you just did._

**_Vega G.:_ ** _Oh… Is it wrong?_

**_Gale H.:_ ** _I thought you didn’t want to call me by that nick anymore considering it brought back bad memories?_

**_Vega G.:_ ** _I guess… Don’t you like it?_

**_Gale H.:_ ** _I don’t mind… but it was you who suggested to just call me Gale…_

**_Vega G.:_ ** _I guess…_

**_Gale H.:_ ** _I guess you miss me that much, huh? :)_

 

Well it was the way Christy, her then ex-bestfriend who was rumoured to be having an affair with her then fiancé, called him “Sebby” that caused her to stop using the nickname Vega sighed just by thinking about it. She somewhat found herself repairing that three-year relationship she had with her ex, and with the circumstances and the changes that happened between that night at the Eureka Tower towards the present day, they decided to take their relationship to the next level.

 

Stretching out on her chair, she reviewed the chat on the iPad she brought along with her, thinking about the entire reason why she stopped calling him “Seb”. For some reason, it just gave her a little bit of grief – something she didn’t need at that moment.

Staring absent-mindedly at her half-eaten bagel that served as her brunch, she was suddenly jolted back to reality when that Skype call tone was suddenly ringing in her face, almost startling all the other few customers in the sparsely populated place.

Slipping on her headphones all of a sudden, Vega found herself smiling at the kid with his webcam, grinning like a toddler who just got to see Barney for the first time that day.

“Hello Sethy!”

“Hello Aunt Vee!” the 6-year-old sitting on his father’s lap exclaimed, ignoring the way his father made faces at the cam. Ignoring her childish older brother, Vega waved at her nephew and subtly widened her eyes in contempt at his father, hinting for him to stop fooling around. “I got another star at school today!”

“That’s great!” Vega exclaimed over her brother’s incessant laughter. “How is your mum? How is Grandma and Grandpa?!”

“They’re fine! They had this little beach trip to St. Kilda!” Seth said happily, blowing his bubbles. “Congratulations!”

Vega blinked at her adorable nephew who was playing with his tuft of black hair. He looked like a mix of her brother and sister-in-law, but he had her brother’s eyes and the feisty attitude of her sister. “Huh? What are you talking about sweetie?” Vega asked.

“About your en-gay-mant!”

“Huh?”

“Engagement, kiddo,” her brother whispered into his son’s ear. “Ah,” Seth blinked. “Congratulations on your engagement, Auntie Vee!”

The girl smiled fondly at her nephew. It actually was a big thing for her to hear her nephew say this. That weekend she announced that she and Gale were engaged, her brother and his family wasn’t around to be at the dinner she held at her parents’ house near Marina. (Well not exactly in the rich Marina, yacht-ridden boat side, it’s nearby.) They were on this long-planned trip to Vienna, and they took little Seth with them. They probably returned three weeks later, just when Vega was about to run for London concerning her promotion, and a friend’s engagement announcement.

“Thank you sweetie,” Vega whispered to the mic piece, tears filling her eyes. “Could you ask your father if he thought about what I told him?”

“Could you tell your Aunt Vee that I’m still thinking about it?” her brother whispered into his son’s ear, but loud enough for Vega to hear.

“Aunt Vee, dada says he’s still thinking –“

Shaking her head and sheepishly smiling at her nephew, Vega suddenly erupted. “ _Kuya_ , please…” Her brother made a face and ruffled his son who jumped off his lap to exit the webcam screen. “How’s Sebastian?” her brother asked, blinking twice. The way he said it was so flat that Vega found herself closing her eyes and sighing as she replied, “He’s doing fine.”

“Star,” her brother replied in a serious tone, which usually includes that old childhood name that is used often in a fond manner when he’s found out her new crush, or when he was about to tell her that he had a new girlfriend and he broke up with her best friend. “You know how I feel about the entire thing.”

“I know but Mom and Dad loves him –“

“I know,” he answered right away. “I understand. I’m just…” He made that same face again that he made earlier. “You know Seth’s first communion is set on the same date –“

Vega wrung her hands. “Can’t you possibly reschedule—”

“I may ask you the same question, since we did plan this a year before.”

The woman closed her eyes and fell back on her seat, defeated as she placed her palms on the table. _Family first,_ her brother would reason out. She wouldn’t blame him, but she knew there was something else. She had been trying to bring up this subject with her brother, but most of the time it’s often avoided, skipped, or it ends up just like this when it’s hard to deny what seemed to be obvious…

“I…” Vega seemed to lose her words. “I can’t choose another Best Man.”

Her brother frowned. “How come?”

His sister shrugged. “You know we had an agreement,” she said, sighing. “I’d have his younger step-sister as my Maid of Honor, and he’d have you as his best man.”

The man older than her by several years raised his eyebrow. “That does sound rubbish, but if it’s your plan…” he shook his head. “I’ll think about it, Vey.”

Vega felt her mouth twitch as she looked away and found herself biting her lip, clearly disappointed.

“You’re coming over here in Australia right after the wedding,” he suddenly piped up. “Why don’t you take your vows here instead?”

She couldn’t help but scratch her head this time. “My friends are here in London…”

“Can’t you have them go here?”

“You know I wanted to get married here…” she said as she gritted her teeth. “I am already working on the guest list and I can’t really have my bosses fly a million miles all the way across the world just for one expensive wedding?!”

Her brother pursed his lips and covered his face. “I love you sweetie,” he exclaimed. “I really do. But I’m not sure if –“

“If what?!”

“—If…” her brother just couldn’t complete the words as he looked at her face, all red, all frustrated, and awaiting an answer. For some reason, he seemed to have balked out. “I’m sorry, kiddo.”

An awkward silence crept between the two siblings torn apart by a hundred miles as one sat firm with his decision in Melbourne, while the other one learned to accept her older brother’s decision and her fate in a coffee shop in London.

“I’ve been thinking,” her brother suddenly spoke up. “As I said you would be coming home for a separate celebration with the relos and those relos from California, yes?”

“Well yeah.”

“I can stand as your best man then,” he brother suggested. “Why don’t you choose another best man while I’m away?”

“Come on,” Vega almost barked. “You’re my brother –“

He shrugged. “It’s just something for you to think about.”

Vega sat back and tried to think. It shouldn’t be much of a big deal if her brother couldn’t come, considering that her parents would be there for her and they’re flying in a week or two before the date she set with Seb before she even flew to London, a date that had been agreed upon even before they decided to move venues from expensive Paris to something more strategically reasonable for Vega.

“Alright,” the younger sister exclaimed, straightening up on her seat.

“I’m really sorry, sis.” Her brother exclaimed.

“No harm done.”

Her older brother then nodded and then suddenly turned to the side, as if someone called his attention. “Well, we gotta go off, we’re going to have to prepare for bed. Oh, before we go – Seth says he wants something to say to you –“

That’s when her young nephew suddenly ducked in the camera and Vega suddenly had to feign a huge entertaining smile even if she positively doesn’t feel like wearing one.

“Hello Sethy!” she exclaimed, a bit of weariness in her voice. “Dada says you need to sleep soon –“

“But Auntie Vee!” the child exclaimed, excited despite the fact that it was almost 11pm at his time zone. “I’ve got to let you know – I bought a box of chocolates last week! They’re TimTams, your favorite!” Vega couldn’t help but smile while she watched him animatedly wave his hands, describing his gift. “I sent them to you right away, the package should be there in London anytime soon!”

“Really?” she exclaimed. “I’ve got to watch out for it then!”

“Yes! And congratulations again!”

Despite that awful feeling she harnessed with the discussion her brother brought upon her, she was thankful for her nephew for being the light of her life. Little does she know from the small smile of her brother holding his son, she knew that he had to do something with this too.

“I’ll expect it, Seth. Thank you so much.”

 

 

***

 

Vega walked home as if she was half-limping. She ended up kicking the ATM machine that ate her £25 that she was supposed to use for her dinner, even just for those cold microwaveable meals she can buy from that 24 hour convenience store near their flat. She ended up with a bag of chips in her hand and cheap cheese squares she was planning to throw on a toast or two for dinner.

She was relieved when she walked into the living room empty, and without removing her earphones, she started to get to work on her makeshift dinner. She must have spent all her available money on lattes and teas, not to mention that second bagel that would have been good enough to be her actual dinner, if only she ordered it two hours later than she did.

Suddenly addicted to Garbage after that videoke session, Vega found herself making that makeshift dinner at almost 10 o’clock in the evening, eating grilled cheese as she bopped her head to “Push It”. She has received from a text message that Max had dinner at her sister’s flat, and she didn’t really give a damn once again where Tom could be – as he could be fucking, boning, or even having one of those women from last night or a completely new miserable little girl deepthroat his cock – and as long as he didn’t do it in the flat, she’d be a happy bunny.

While eating two pieces of toast, Vega inspected the contents of their fridge, contemplating about doing huge withdrawals on the next day so she could stock up on rice, meat, beef, and other ingredients she could use to put her cooking skills to the test. She also thought about buying herself a microwavable rice cooker.

“Time to fend for myself,” she mumbled as she finished eating, dimmed the lights in the living room and moved in her personal little space to check emails and probably surf a bit.

In an hour, she was asleep.

…but once again, not for long.

It was almost the same routine procedure – she woke up with her stomach rumbling, considering that she almost threw herself into bed hungry, having only two pieces of grilled cheese. It was past twelve and she was hungry yet again, but this time without the headphones over her ears she didn’t want to walk out of her room despite the carnal sounds that were echoing through the walls.

“The best night for her to sleep over at her sisters is the night when I’m all alone, all hungry, and stuck with a sexual predator next door,” Vega grumbled as she pretended that Tom was just practicing for his sex scene and the other voice with him isn’t really a woman.

She would have probably felt a bit better if he was fucking a man…

…but Vega would eventually say that it wouldn’t help with her own libido.

Marching angrily into the living room, at this point having dealt with her sex-crazed roommate for almost four days straight, Vega knew she couldn’t solve her roommate problem – but she can find a solution to her stomachache.

 

_“Hnggggh!”_

_“Oh Thomas!”_

_“Uhhhh!”_

_“Yes, right there, right th – Oh!”_

_“Leigh, you’re so tight!”_

_“Yes! Like that!”_

_“You’re so tight, darling!”_

_“Fuck me! Fuck me like I’m your virgin fan!”_

_“Yes!”_

_“Fuck me like I just ravaged you after your midnight show!”_

_“ **Yes!** ”_

Slowly becoming desensitized to those sounds her so-called best friend was making with his fuck buddy, Vega found herself rolling her eyes as she knelt in front of the refrigerator, looking for something to eat. Her bodily pains were more important than her pride, so she literally had to stomach those sounds that happen to be a little bit louder in the living room considering that Tom and his lady friend probably forgot to completely close his door while they were “in the heat of the moment”. But of course, Vega wouldn’t dare look, even throw a glance at the open door. The sounds were disturbing enough… how much more to see two people coiled around each other, with their slicked skin, and short breaths, and passionate contorted positions –

Vega bared her teeth and made a face just thinking about it, as she looked for something to eat. Considering the feast they had yesterday and the leftovers they had to throw away, the fridge was rather empty.

Except for the milk, the chocolate for cooking… and all the pudding… that was missing _one_ cup.

“ _That’s my pudding_ ,” she can hear his voice echoing in her head. “ _I prefer if it remains untouched_.”

It had been clear and obvious that Tom had always loved pudding, but Vega had no idea he fancied those cute little Japanese cups that had a sweeter and creamier texture. She does remember sharing one with an ex back in her home town, but that’s beside the point. She loved it too, but now – in the most childish manner possible – learning that a person she currently despised liked it too, she suddenly didn’t want anything to do with it anymore.

 

_“Oh… oh… It’s cold, Tom….”_

_“But it’ll taste great on you…”_

_“Ohhhhhh…”_

_“Mmmmmnnn…”_

_“Yes… Yes! Lick me there!”_

_“Mmmmn…  Come here my little Japanese Pudding –“_

 

Vega swore she saw red.

She didn’t know why just now, but she would have went on a wild rampage and might have ended up trashing at least the contents of the refrigerator… but considering it was almost empty, the entire tantrum would have been moot. But that was the one moment when Vega knew she was out of her wits and she had to do something. If Max wasn’t going to do something, she knew it was all up to her.

 

She didn’t want to ask the usual damned questions of “Where did my “sweet brother” go?”, or “What happened to that courteous and chivalrous man who looked as if he was about to promise her the world as she stood on the deck of the highest point in Melbourne?” That man is gone, all of it is gone, and she’s dealing with a twisted tornado of sexual deviance that was raging towards her, even if she tried so hard to believe that she didn’t have anything to do with this storm.

In the middle of her musings on how sick she was with Tom’s sexual power play in the flat and how it was driving both her and Max insane (and how the other girls have been dragged into their frustration ever since they attempted sending “their message” that videoke night), Vega didn’t notice how she had already taken out one pudding cup from the package and was starting to unwrap it in her anger.

 

“ _Ooohhhhhh! Oh God!”_

_“Mnnnn… You taste so good, darling…”_

_“I c—can’t… Please shove it deep inside of me –“_

_“Right into your quivering pudding? Ehehehehe. Pun intended… Now get on your knees, sweetheart.”_

 

Vega gritted her teeth as she stood in front of the open fridge, holding the dessert that wasn’t even hers to start with remembering what Tom said about it – that he didn’t want anyone to touch it. Well he didn’t say that exactly, but it was what he implied. But as she felt a shiver run from her spine up the back of her neck, Vega never felt so helpless or tiny her entire life as she wondered how another man could somewhat make her feel uncomfortable without directly assaulting her –

And to think that she tried all her best to try and remedy that “friendship” she thought was butchered after the Eureka Tower incident – with all the kind gestures, the way she played around him, by being a sport in Mari’s wedding, by being an actual friend – She couldn’t tell if it was a personal attack or Tom has just really grown to be so crass, so rough around the edges. This wasn’t the man she knew. She never knew him to be this deviant, this insensitive –

 

_“Oh Tom you naughty – OHHHH!”_

_“Darling you’re so… ughhh… tight!”_

 

Vega felt her teeth clatter. She unwrapped the seal of the forbidden pudding that tempted the growling within her stomach and challenged her to question and rebel against the owner. She felt herself slam the refrigerator door shut as she ignored the sounds of renewed thrusting and groaning, as she shoved her hands backwards till it hit the cabinets, where she pulled out a spoon and held it upside down like a dagger, the deep curve away from her hand.

 

 _What are the possibilities if I eat this pudding?_ She thought. _Yeah sure I’m intruding and trespassing on someone else’s property and I’m sure it’s kind of rude –_ But then she remembered that this is Tom and he’s clearly doing the same thing about the flat even he does technically own it. He was being rude, unreasonable, deviant, disgusting – Vega found herself glaring at the pudding that was glistening with its caramel topping. But there was something in her head, the prim and proper Vega that spoke to her not to steal the pudding that isn’t hers, not to touch it, and to respect the man whom it belongs to even if –

 

_“I-I’m gonna come again –“_

_“Come with me darling.”_

 

Vega stopped thinking, shut out all the noise in her head, and closed her eyes.

 

**_No more_.**

 

Just as the woman in Tom’s room orgasmed… his roommate found herself breaking the milky surface of the pudding that isn’t even hers to begin with as she dug the blunt end of the spoon right into its thick and creamy center.

Vega swore it tasted sweet with revenge.


	21. Revenge ala Cremé

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Tom's pudding collection touched, and Vega standing high and proud having run away with the crime - two sides are about to clash head to head as Vega decides that Tom has had enough of his sexual dominance in their flat.

“What’s all this?”

 

Augustus Shay walked into the Way Celebrity Showdown meeting room just as he arrived around 8 o’ clock, only to find the members of his team laughing and gossiping so early in the morning as they held coffee or tea in their hands… accompanied by sweets in the guise of rare-branded Asian-looking pudding cups.

“Hello Gus,” Vega called him in that old annoying nickname as she spun around the meeting room chair, holding a large pudding cup of her own as she bit on the edge of her spoon. “Care to join our pudding party?”

He looked around the room to find Sasha with the waffles she always shared during Mondays, Carrie and Topher animatedly discussing their separate trips to Tokyo where they first had this kind of “Four-Seasons” of similarly tasting pudding, while Vega sat in a satisfied manner beside their resident reporter.

“Where did you get all this?”

Vega smiled and set her spoon down. “Let’s just say, it magically appeared in my refrigerator one day and I decided to share it all around.”

August looked around and blinked, eyes fixed on the curled up pudding plastic packaging that was now empty. “But that set is empty and everyone already has one… How can you say that there is one left for me?”

His supervisor suddenly pulled out another six-pack from her small plastic bag and slammed it on the table. It had the same expensive Japanese label, as well as that new box smell that obviously told everyone present in the room that it had been carefully packaged, shipped, and catered for that very special occasion.

“Who said that I ran out of it?” Vega said with a very cheeky grin.

Suddenly, amidst the amusement and the happy chatter in the room, it was all silenced when a ringtone went off, playing to the beat of Wondergirl’s “Be My Baby”. Vega made a face and took out her phone, saying, “Sorry need to get this.”

Blinking, she spun around her seat once and said, “Hello?”

“GUERERRO.”

Vega felt all the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She definitely recognized that voice from anywhere, but it surely didn’t sound sweet or gentle just like the last time she heard his voice on the phone. It sounded upset, menacing, and definitely as haughty as Loki Laufeyson would sound when he was busy berating Thor or one of the Avengers.

“BE HONEST WITH ME, _DEAR SISTER_ , _”_ Tom Hiddleston’s voice echoed from her phone as she felt like shrinking on her seat. “DID YOU EAT MY PUDDING?!”

She felt her jaw unhinge itself as she looked around the room to find the pudding in question being eaten happily by her teammates. Her expression was torn between something of mischief because of what she managed to accomplish – sneaking what was left of the pack to the office while everyone else was asleep, as well as fear – considering the tone of Tom’s voice as he spoke on the phone. And to be honest, _he didn’t sound happy._

“ARE YOU STILL THERE, DEAR SISTER?!” The phone hissed, slightly snapping Vega back to reality.

“Well yes,” she said, gathering her wits as she crossed her arms smugly. “I am still here _but I have no idea what you are talking about,_ ” she replies firmly as she slurps syrup of her spoon, causing the line to grow silent as she did so – making her try so hard to keep herself from laughing after giving Tom a misleading hint in such a mean manner.

“I clearly stated for that pudding not to be touched,” Tom’s voice was grave and foreboding.

“Why,” Vega hissed back. “Haven’t you had a good taste of that last night?”

She heard someone gasp from the other end of the line.

“Tough as nails and sharp as knives,” Tom said flatly and through gritted teeth. “Do remember who you stole it from.”

Vega leaned back on her seat as her colleagues curiously watch her as if she turned into this big and experienced mean lady who was busy haggling with a villainous merchant or client on the phone, as she crossed her legs and let the spoon dangle from her hand.

“Can you even prove it that I was the one who stole your pudding cups, _Thain?_ ”

She felt Tom become silent on the other side of the line. There was only one meaning when they have reduced to calling each other by their screen names: It was either they were trying not to be intimate, they wished to preserve their characters or they were _actually_ in character… or _this definitely meant war and everything was damn serious_.

“Max found an empty cup in your room.”

Vega fell silent. She could clearly imagine Tom slyly grinning on the other line, that kind of smile that had no good intentions having found someone out. Little does he know that Vega was slyly smirking on the other line, having planted the plastic cup in her room’s rubbish can after angrily consuming its contents the night before as a sign to let him know who he’s clearly up against. This wasn’t the girls, this isn’t even against Max – this was against her.

“You will pay for this _Aeoren Vanelon_ ,” Tom growled through the receiver, making Vega smile realizing that he wasn’t pleased. For the first time in the past week, _he wasn’t pleased_.

“Oh Please!” Vega rolled her eyes as she sighed into the phone. “Such empty threats! You?! Make me pay? Why dear _Thomas_ ,” she said mockingly into the phone as her colleagues watch her act like a child as she waved her spoon around. “My dear _Thaindruil_ brother, are not capable of hurting a fly… including a tiny, helpless, innocent little girl who is six years your junior.”

“Do not test me, _Aeoren_ ,” the voice in her receiver shot back.

“I wouldn’t dare –“ Vega suddenly fell silent, as she stopped to think, pretending to put a thumb on her mouth before screaming – “ _Or maybe I will!_ ”

And with that she hung up her phone on the man who even dared contact her by mobile, considering that he hasn’t called even tried calling her phone in a year, or even try to contact her by anything else – and it kind of irritates her that he would even do it now.

“Who was that?” Carrie said with a shudder, looking quite scared with her pudding that was almost completely finished except for the syrup at the bottom.

Vega blinked as she slurped the remaining caramel syrup off her spoon and placed the empty pudding cup down on the black metal desk that was the centerpiece of their meeting room.

“Oh I just had a word with our dessert sponsor,” the head editor of the Way Celebrity Showdown spoke as she placed her spoon in the empty cup. “It looks like we’re going to have desserts for the rest of the week, as much as I could take in our refrigerator.”

As her officemates cheered, Vega found herself smiling contentedly as she sat on that office chair, feeling powerful and in control once more.

 

***

 

Tom stared at his phone after Vega hang up on him.

He then turned to Max who was just standing in front of Vega’s door, flabbergasted as she held Vega’s trashcan with the said empty pudding cup sitting on top of her used cosmetics, tissues, and other room-related wastes… while Fred sat across Tom on the dining table with a face that was a split between surprised and shocked.

“She hung up on me,” Tom said childishly, like a little lost boy – making it look as if he just completely acted out his “anger” with Vega on the phone. But nonetheless, there was something in his face that slowly turned into a displeased smirk that spelled out something of amusement and mischief as he carelessly placed his phone down on the coffee table that stood before him, still with the footprints of the girls from the other night. “She bloody hung up on me,” he ended with a growl.

Fred shrugged… despite having his jaw unhinged at the entire situation.

Tom frustratingly smoothed a hand on his curls, thinking about what was going on in his head when he opened the refrigerator that morning. It wasn’t like him to have a bad morning… considering what he did the last night. He had been having a good fucking for the past few days, and he was secretly pleased to have the _girls_ wrapped around his finger – emotionally speaking – considering that the one person who mattered the most is clearly _upset_ with what he’s been doing. _I don’t really intend to upset my mercenary sisters_ , he thought as he stared at the empty breakfast table – considering he completely forgot about cooking breakfast ever since he went on a search spree after finding out that his pudding was missing.

But that’s the thing – _his pudding_ _was missing_.

Despite being the Ladies’ Man for the past few nights, Tom was secretly not having a good time. He barely had sleep, he’d been reporting to cast readings and casting interviews late for the past few days, he may been getting _more lovin’_ than he needs but he’s exhausted… to top it all of _his plan doesn’t seem to be working._ Now his favorite dessert is missing. Tom felt confused, hopeless, somewhat bored, disappointed and empty.

Till today.

The moment he saw his pudding missing, it felt as if he was stabbed in the back. He secretly loved fucking his girls in bed _considering who may be listening and who may be squirming in either disgust or possibly even arousal_ (he could wish) – and this pudding was a tool to his _plan_. The more _his women squealed_ , the more his message could be sent – loud and clear. For that pudding to be missing – is like his plan being slightly foiled. It stressed him, if he could speak out loud.

But he felt like he saw red when he saw that pudding cup sitting atop of Vega’s garbage. He was both confused and furious that his roommate actually plotted and succeeded to foil his plan. But then upon realizing who stole his pudding… suddenly the tide has been turned. He couldn’t understand why he suddenly felt like fire, like gunpowder, like something about to explode. If it was Fred or even Max, he would have just probably told them off and even offered half of it just to appease the situation. But this is _Vega_ whom he was dealing with… and he felt like fighting back. He couldn’t explain _why it made him feel so frustrated… so angry… **so alive**_ **.**

 “She wouldn’t dare…” He whispered, turning subtly to Fred who just shrugged.

“Would she?”

Max turned to him and mimicked the same expression as well, trying so hard not to laugh as she went out to throw the trash. Little do they know that Max had to hide her making this huge laughing gesture the moment she closed the door, finally realizing that Vega did that one thing the girls couldn’t do – make a direct assault at Tom and his sexual deviancy without dragging anyone to her side.

Standing up to walk around the flat, thinking all to himself to why his so-called best-friend would do such a thing… When he saw Fred lean forward on his seat to whisper to him, “I told you Thomas… you did go too far.”

Tom turned around as he placed a hand on his chest and raised an eyebrow. “Too far?” he mused. “That isn’t even much…”

To which Fred raised an inquiringly sassy eyebrow.

In the middle of their subtle mental-debate, Max burst in with a package and said, “Looks like we’re in for a treat.“

Tom turned around and tilted his head. “What’s that?”

Max hobbled over to the table as the thespian suddenly swept towards her to take the box from her hands in a chivalrous gesture to help her set it on the table. “Well,” Max started, sort of dusting off her hands after taking out the garbage. “There was this delivery man outside who was looking for Vega and said she had a package from Austra –“

Before she can finish her sentence, Tom stopped listening and tore the package flap open.

“Tim-tams,” he exclaimed with glee as his pupils drowned out the blues in his eyes as an evil grin smiled up on his face.

“…lia.” Max finished nervously as she watched the devilish look form on Tom’s face. “Vega’s been waiting for that package since two days ago…”

 “Perfect,” Tom exclaimed as he slowly took out the first box of chocolates, holding it delicately in his hands as it just became his tool for the ultimate demise of his nemesis. He licked his lips, ignoring how Fred shook his head as a subtly as he could, with Max weirdly raising an eyebrow beside him.

“Vega dear, you forget who you’re dealing with…”

 

 

***

 

 

Vega felt like rushing home after that little “team” dinner she had with Sasha, Toph, and Carrie.

August would have come if it wasn’t for some “family emergency”, but Vega really preferred if the snooty, often judgmental and generally negative native from Queensland did not show up. But for the past few nights, Vega had been setting a busy workday or an eventful worknight in hopes of coming home exhausted or wasted, enough for her to sink into a deep sleep without any care of interruption to the world once her face hits the pillow. And she needs that kind of deep seated slumber after what her other roomie has been doing for the past few days…

But tonight, she had to rush home considering something she has been anticipating.

The moment she walked into the flat, she threw her scarf aside and didn’t even stand to watch her sling bag land on it as she rushed about the flat looking for that package she’s been waiting to see ever since Max texted her that it arrived. She was relieved to see a box lying on the dining table, but confusion suddenly spread on her face when she saw it lopsided, open… and empty.

Taking off her headphones and putting her player on pause after taking it out of her pocket, Vega tugged on the open box flap wondering where all of Seth’s Tim Tams have gone when suddenly she felt a cold shiver run through her veins, enveloping her entire person… as the first thing that came to her head hounded her with fear considering this little rebellious feat she did the night before… and the next morning, distributing the stolen pudding with her officemates.

She suddenly realized that maybe she’ll never see that pudding again…

It didn’t help with what filled her ears the moment she came to her senses.

“ _Oh yes… Hnggh…_ ”

The groans that were dimly heard from the room nearest to the kitchen suddenly was echoing louder considering the flat standing empty towards the middle of the night.

“ _Yes… like that… right there…”_

Vega found herself slowly turning her head around from the empty box towards the lightly open door… the light in the room peering out of the crack as questionable noises echoed out. She took a brave step towards it as she slowly closed her mouth and gnashed her teeth against each other, as she tilted her head in an attempt to listen to the sounds she hated hearing, in hopes of getting a clue of where the contents of her package went to… Half-hoping it would somewhat confirm that _she was wrong and was being paranoid_ …

“ _Ohhhhhh… Leigh… take me in... deeper…_ ”

There was a long groaning sound followed by a loud smack that sounded sickening to Vega’s ears when she felt goosebumps cover the back of her neck and her exposed sleeveless shoulders as she heard the woman inside Tom’s room say…

“ _You’re so good at chocolate, Tom… You taste so much better with this … What is this sweet mix made of again, darling?”_

The girl standing outside his door, two steps away from flinging it open had to cover her mouth to shield the gasp when she heard him spoke.

 _“Tim-tams_.”

A huge wailing shriek filled the air as Vega completely lost her shit.

 

 

***

 

Tom was busy humming to himself that early morning after seeing that Leigh had left in the middle of the night after he was knocked out, as he found time to have a quick trip to the closest grocer, buy himself some meat in order to make the best English Breakfast he could whip up ever since that day he told himself he was too messed up in the head to even try cooking breakfast for himself and the girls.

Satisfied, content, and wearing the sunniest morning grin on his face, Tom was about to take another bite of his sausage links when he didn’t notice how the door of the room behind him suddenly bounced open, followed by loud angry footsteps going towards his direction – as his face was suddenly splashed with the milk that was lying undisturbed in his glass a few seconds ago.

“YOU DISGUSTING, INHUMAN, INSENSITIVE MAN-WHORE!!!”

Fred and Max suddenly backed away from the table as Tom’s cup rolled on the surface, spilling the milk all over the table… as the rest of it dripped from his face. He sat there, drenched in dairy as his eyes remained closed… as Vega stood in front of him, red-in-the-face as she huffed and puffed like this little girl who suddenly grew and stretched out with the power of a dragon.

By the time Vega caught her breath, Tom had already run a hand through his face, allowing him to open an eye to see past all that skim milk.

“You actually have the nerve –“ her hand trembled as she tried to shake it in his face. “THAT WAS MY NEPHEW’S TIM-TAMS!”

Max dropped her jaw and Fred made an expression akin to someone realizing they made a major error by putting the wrong gears into the car and saw it collide into a wall.

“HE USED HIS OWN MOTHERFUCKING SCHOOL MONEY TO BUY THAT!!! And what did you do? _What did you motherfucking do?!_ ” she hissed, circling the man who managed to sit still on his chair, not even batting an eyelash or daring to look at the tiny little girl threatening him as she went around him like an angry hawk. “ _You just had to have the motherfucking slut suck it off your cock. How classy, Thomas_.”

Silence.

What broke the din was Tom suddenly laughing to himself, making Vega look even more offended. “That?” he said coolly as he shrugged. “I’m really sorry about that, darling. I thought it was just left out there for all of us to partake… I really didn’t want to touch it –” Max turned to him with her lip curling, looking aghast as she clearly remembered that she told the two boys that the package was for Vega from Australia.

In the middle of an apologetic gesture, Tom’s expression suddenly changed. “…but then I remembered _my stolen pudding_.”

The horror and wrath on Vega’s face only intensified as she quickly watched the actor switch to someone who was mockingly laughing a few minutes ago, to a man who stared her down with a piercing glare, both his eyes burning… as traces of the milk she threw at him slowly began to clear from his face, drenching his morning shirt.

“You little slut –“

“I dare you –“

Vega was tempted to grab the plate from his table and slam it over his head, but then Tom suddenly rose to his full height, startling the woman as she suddenly bounded backwards, stopping herself in her tracks as actual fear lingered in those dark chocolate eyes.

Max and Fred remained rooted to their seats as they watched Vega struggle with her inner fear as Tom completely projected the aura of a threatening Frost Giant towards her small persona. Overcoming her intimidation of him with the fact that she’s sick of him abusing his manipulative ways in the flat with his sexual endeavors, Vega found herself hissing.

“No more –“

“No more, _what?_ ” Tom snapped back at her, without raising his voice.

Vega swore she only saw red and this gave her the power to flare on. “NO MORE OF THIS DISGUSTING, GROTESQUE, INDIGNANT SHIT FROM A PERVERTED AND TWISTED OLD BLOKE WHO CAN’T EVEN CONTROL HIS SEXUAL DESIRES –“

Tom crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow at her.

“What do you call yourself?” he said in a monotonous tone, clearly still upset about his pudding. “You’re just a _childish, dishonest, vengeful little prude girl who does not respect other people’s property or their feelings –_ “

Red in the face, Vega puffed her cheeks and exploded, screaming, “ ** _THIS IS WHY YOU CAN’T GET A PROPER GIRLFRIEND –_ “**

Her words were interrupted with the shattering of glass.

Max quickly got up on her feet fussing about the broken glassware after Tom’s slight of hand, causing the glass from where he was drinking with to crash to the floor. Vega suddenly shuddered all over as she stopped speaking altogether, completely shocked with what just happened. Next thing she knew, Max was dragging her away from the table, asking her to calm down, while Fred has gotten up on his feet as well, subtly telling Tom to let the two girls off to their own business with his hand steady of his friend’s shoulder.

“Suits his receding hairline –“ was the last thing they heard from Vega was still flaming like a bull despite what happened, before Max dragged her out of the flat and slammed the door shut.

It took probably a few more minutes before Tom dropped his guard and let out a sigh, completely changing his demeanor, making Fred frown upon realizing that the man had just done what he does best – put up an act.

“That seriously wasn’t cool, mate,” he said as he lightly punched the man on the shoulder as Tom made a face where he twitched his jaw and gave a small smirk. “You _went too far_.”

He raised his hand and made a gesture with his thumb and finger. “A _bit_ too far,” he explained. “You couldn’t blame me – what else would you have done?” He exclaimed as he walked over to the hamper and grabbed an old towel to wash whatever remained of his milk on his face. “That was a waste of good milk and she was being too childish –“

“Mate,” Fred said sternly as he shook his head, starting to pick up the broken pieces of the glass on the floor. “ _So were you_.”

Tom fell silent as he threw the old towel on the sink and leaned his arms on the steel frame. He took a deep breath as the jovial playful façade he suddenly put up faded away, despite the glaring white anger he displayed in front of the woman earlier. He sighed as she straightened up and leaned on the kitchen counter, giving Fred a small sad smile.

“I can’t help it, mate,” he whispered. “This is the only way I could be childish… _with her._ ”

Fred shook his head at him as he stood up. “Not wise,” he whispered as Tom looked down, clearly looking ashamed. He strode towards the closet door of the kitchen, opened it, and grabbed the stored broom and dust pan.

“Not wise at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for the record: Vega is still somewhat a coward at assaulting Tom while he's in the room with his "girlfriend", still unable to stomach seeing him and another woman in a compromising position. This is why she attacks him the next day - when she knows she'll be dealing with him all on his own.


	22. The Pudding Wars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hold up your forts, hide your sweets, and stay clear from the flat. The little shrimp has finally waged a war against that "infallible crane" that started with one pudding stolen from the fridge. It's all about sex, lies, and dessert pies.

“What are you doing?!”

Vega had to wrench her wrist free from Max’s grip by the time they got to the fire exit. She was shaking with fury, and she was far from the refined and poised young woman who tried to keep her cool in Paule Dela Merci’s exhibit. She was surprised with the way Max gawked at her, considering the way she almost lost her balance with the force of how Vega broke free of her grip.

“Sweetie,” Max suddenly spoke, becoming sweet and gentle for the first time, horrified by the hidden rage the “gentle” and “demure” Vega was hiding. “What’s wrong?” She gulped as she watched Vega back off suddenly finding herself falling back as she seated on the top of the stairs leading to the sixth floor.

“I seriously have no idea how you pulled that off –“ Max stuttered as she raised a hand. “You managed to 1) steal Tom’s pudding, 2) throw milk at his face, 3) scream at him at the top of your lungs –“ She ended up ticking Vega’s feats of the day on her free hand as if they were mortal sins. “ _Woman, **what did you eat?**_ **”**

Vega felt her jaw unhinge itself as she just looked up and blankly stared at her roommate for a whole two minutes, realizing what she had just done in her blind fury. The little woman then found herself staring at her hands, still a bit moist and sticky with the milk she just threw in Tom’s face, as she marveled and was horrified with her sudden outburst, shocked with what she was capable of.

Max found herself sighing and smothering her face with her left hand as she exclaimed, “I have no idea where you got your courage,” She started pacing in front of Vega who was starting to understand the gravity of her actions – the image of Tom unrepentant as he loomed over her was still plastered in her mind, frightening her, shocking her. She somewhat wondered how she managed to stand up to that horrific visage of a man who played one of the most feared villains in the big screen… making her realize that he could be one himself.

But then Max’s voice suddenly snapped her back to reality.

“ _But that was **JUST** **freaking awesome!!!**_ ” the boyish roommate of her suddenly leapt on her feet and started shaking her friend with her shoulders, causing Vega to squint in shock as everything about her seemed to vibrate. “ _Not even one of us girls could stand up to Tom like that – **but you just did!!!** ”_

She looked right through Max, still completely clueless and unbelieving of what her friend just said.

“I knew you could do it!” the woman exclaimed, doing a little jig of her own. “That stupid British ragamuffin doesn’t know what’s coming to him,” she grunted, crossing her arms, imitating Tom’s tall unbreakable poised gait. “This is his fault, him and his women’s fau –“

Max suddenly noticed how Vega shook in her place, still sitting on the lowest stair.

“Max,” she whispered. “ _He’s angry_.” She looked up at her friend with big beady scared chocolate eyes. “ _I made him angry_.”

Max paused in her victorious musings and winced. “What?!”

Vega brought her hands to the level of her face, realizing how much they shook. As much as she drew from her courage and made that spectacle of standing up to Tom in front of the dining table earlier… it ate up whatever was left of her confidence as she was reduced to a shaking mess who was slowly coming to terms that she just woke up the dragon and she ran out of weapons to fight him with it. Most of all, she remembered how Tom’ “I made him angry,” she murmured like a child, as she hugged herself. “I do—I don’t know what will happen –“

She suddenly looked up to find Max gripping her shoulders in a comforting manner as she sat beside her, as she released a hand to have her face turn towards her by adjusting her chin.

“Listen to me, Veggie-pie,” Max growled. “ _Listen to me._ ”

Somehow Vega found her power to breathe and stop shaking as she took another gulp and listened to what Max had to say.

“Tom? That sexual deviant?” she said, wincing and rolling her eyes. “— _Could not even hurt a fly._ ”

Vega didn’t notice it but she blinked twice with her lips parted as her roommate’s words started to sink in her head.

“And he certainly wouldn’t _dare_ hurt you.”

 

 

***

 

 

“I will make that little shrimp wish she didn’t dare pick up that good glass of milk against me,” he growled before biting into a sandwich, ignoring the way his friend looked at him as he sat across him in The Steam Room, repeatedly stirring his coffee that was slowly becoming cold. “I never found a woman this annoying or immature before, having to endlessly drag on this stupid charade just because I have a sex life and she doesn’t –“

Tom definitely looked like a mess, having barely got out of his night clothes, wearing only a leather jacket on top of them, as he slowly chugged down his latte right after taking a few more angry bites out of his brunch.

“Surely,” Fred tried to speak in a calm tone, despite looking at how much of a wreck his friend seemed to be. “That wasn’t what you were saying about that _particular_ little shrimp a year ago…”

Tom let his bagel drop on his plate, as he turned to glare at his friend.

“…or ten years ago,” Fred finished his sentence before taking a sip of his now lukewarm coffee.

 “I didn’t –“

Fred raised an eyebrow.

“Did I –“

The Scotsman tilted his head and stopped stirring his coffee. “Don’t tell me,” he started. “But I wasn’t the one who was throwing this beautifully orchestrated panic party when someone sent their beautiful blue dress back from their hotel before fleeing to that Place Down Under.”

Tom suddenly had a hard time swallowing that bite from his sandwich.

“And I’m not the one doing this happy jig almost a year ago too when he found out that this one little chatmate of his was finally turning up at an eyeball at the Milk Bar –“

Unable to say or contradict anything, Tom ended up banging his head on the wooden table, causing Fred to widen his eyes and shut up at the sudden movement that made him think about how many years his friend have shed at that moment to start acting more childish than the woman who drenched his face in the finest skim milk the grocery could offer.

“ _I have changed_ ,” a growling voice emerged from underneath his arms. “She doesn’t know me anymore.”

He raised his head from his arms, a huge red mark on his forehead where it made contact on the table. Fred found himself frowning upon identifying that remorseful look on Tom’s face that was a cross between exasperation and desperation. He watched his friend stretch his long and tall body against the wooden chair he was sitting on as he ruffled his short hair, slowly turning even more blonde by the day.

“Remember Steve?” Tom asked blankly.

Taking a sip from his cup, Fred nodded. “The technician who set up my entertainment system?”

“Yep. That bloke.”

Raising an eyebrow, Fred frowned. “Yes. Why?”

Biting his lip, looking at the distance, Tom looked at his old buddy. “Do you still have his number? I have a job for him.”

 

 

***

 

Vega completely skipped dinner that night.

Considering she had to go have a conference with Sasha and August over Facetime over an article edit, she spent most of her time at this random hole-in-the-wall Coffee Bar a few blocks from the Way HQ, not having the feel to go home and have dinner with her roommates that night. And considering that Max often spends her dinners with her sister, with the fact that she just assaulted her other roommate whose name she refuses to mention or even think about so not to ruin her day… Vega wouldn’t risk sharing a table with Tom that evening.

Well she didn’t totally skip dinner. She did have a takeaway of a cheeseburger though, and she was eating it while she was telling Sasha to calm down and stop hyperventilating over her Ryan Gosling interview notes.

Now that cheeseburger’s wrap is in the bin, it’s two hours before midnight, and Vega found herself locked and trapped in her room unless she would like to follow her wish of going out and have coffee in the shop downstairs and risk running into someone dastardly who probably has another sultry woman under his arm. Even Vega didn’t want to think how dastardly his face is in the first place, despite what the Marketing and the Production team says about him, and all his other fans hazy imagery of what he is and how he acts…

 _No_ _matter what anyone else says, Tom Hiddleston right now is a major cuntwad_ , she thought as she threw aside her headphones realizing how uncomfortable it had been making her for the past few nights, and half-wishing she’d have a peaceful night of sleep as she threw a pillow over her head. _I can’t even believe I called that man my BFF_.

Vega regretted even putting aside her earphones a few hours later… when something loud and feral surrounded her room, causing her to open her eyes wide.

_“Oh God!”_

_“Unff--”_

_“Thomas you animal – Oh! Harder!”_

 

She sat up horrified, as she looked around the room… wondering where the sound was coming from. It wasn’t just the kind of annoying sexual sounds that was echoing off Tom’s bedroom walls, but this time it was louder and clearer than usual…

 

“ _Be careful what you wish for darling –“_

_“Thomas, please –“_

_“Ungh… Just do me one favor –“_

 

Vega found herself wincing ridiculously, wondering why she even bothered listening to their coital conversation as she placed a hand on her throbbing head.

Abandoning her thoughts, she suddenly leapt off her bed and scanned the room, following the trace of her perverted roommie’s voice, looking for the source of the magnified sounds –

 

“ _Ughh… Ohh….”_

_“Anything… anything you want… Oh… Darling…”_

 

She raised her covers and found a pair of large portable speakers under her bed.

 

“ _Scream louder for me, baby.”_

 

Gritting her teeth, Vega violently opened the door, causing it to bounce off the wall as she walked out of her room her nostrils flaring and her pupils dilated with anger.

“Why am I even surprised?” she grunted as she ignored how the woman’s screams echoed from her room as she rummaged through the pantry, pulling out a secret stash of groceries that she hid there during a few nights ago when she bought the batteries for her headphones. She took out a big white jug that read “COLOXYL” and opened the fridge hastily as she took out that “Health Smoothie” Tom makes and drinks before he goes on his daily morning jog.

“Wanna play hardball, Hiddleston?” Vega whispered like a mantra, watching the cool white liquid pour from her container and into the Lock and Lock tumbler, as she took out a spoon and began mixing it, ignoring the multiple orgasms the lady was having in Tom’s room.

“Game _fucking_ on.”

 

***

 

The next morning, Max was completely in shock in the middle of eating her buttered toast when Tom, still in his jogging attire, suddenly bursts in the door holding his stomach as he wore a pained expression as he held the knob, panting… only to sprint faster than he ever did his entire life for the loo between his room and Vega’s, slamming the door behind him.

With an eyebrow worriedly raised, her suspicions were somewhat confirmed when Vega skipped happily out of her room in a mood jollier than a child on Christmas Day as she took out two eggs from the refrigerator, a slice of bacon, and buttered herself up some toast as she heated a pan for her breakfast.

In the middle of whistling “Walking on Sunshine”, she managed to turn around and grin at a blank looking Max with her half-eaten cereal who just said, “You’re too happy today.”

Vega shrugs randomly in the middle of making her fluffy scrambled eggs when –

_BANG!_

Tom emerges from his almost fifteen-minute bathroom break clearly sweating tons as he shoots Max a pitiful look… only for that expression to change into a murderous glare upon seeing Vega’s sunshiny smiling face, causing him to stomp and stalk towards his room… knees a bit wobbly… as he slams the door in their faces.

Max quickly spins to glare at her best friend who was sprinkling salt on her eggs. “What did you do now Vega?!!”

The little woman shrugged and said, “Oh nothing, just a little laxative to soften that sorry ass –“

“VEGA!”

“WHAT?!”

 

 

It got worse during the next few days.

Vega, clueless and helpless, almost fainted in complete embarrassment when her phone suddenly sounded off with a really suggestive sex ringtone (that seems to be _personally recorded by someone you can call an amateur_ ) in the middle of a meeting with the editors.

Tom suddenly found his scripts in his trashcan with the name of his character in all the pages changed into “MR. CUNTWAD” in big letters made by a red ballpoint pen.

There was even a day when Vega found all her groceries in the trash, while Tom found out that someone poured a mixture of spoiled milk and honey all over his covers.

Fred had to stop himself from laughing when Tom was cussing about going back to Ikea to buy himself a new set of sheets and duvets for that “emergency call” he had to cater to that night. He was cussing even louder the next day when _someone_ swapped the bedroom quilt set he ordered to something designed by Sanrio. Luckily, the girl he was about to pound was a big Hello Kitty fan that Vega found herself banging her head on her desk because her plan backfired.

Even the air between the two became icy whenever they’re in the flat.

There was one afternoon when Vega came home exhausted from work, and she almost ran into Tom who was busy reading his scripts in the living room. With neither party wanting to vacate the activity center of their flat, Tom ended up ignoring her as Vega found herself bravely picking up the remote control only to switch the channels to watch TMZ and other afternoon based gossip shows – something work-related and would help her calm her nerves. Unfortunately, this kind of programming does tick the established celebrity off and not to mention that it was getting in the way of his concentration.

The entire afternoon was reduced into a passive-aggressive war over Tom who picked up the remote to turn the TV off, only for Vega holding a universal remote-control in the form of a sonic screwdriver to turn it back on.

This continues on for about thirty minutes till Tom heaves an exasperated sigh and exits the living room with the rest of his documents, not before summoning an expression akin to what Loki would do to his victims before he murdered them – composed an icy cold glare that would have burned Vega to her bones if looks could definitely kill.

The girl would admit that she couldn’t brandish a smile because of the cold chill that went though her spine till he left her presence. But once he was gone and out of the front door, muttering about reading his scripts on the roof deck, Vega rolled her eyes and stretched out on the sofa that was all hers, triumphant and pleased with her current victory.

Not until the lights suddenly went out in the flat.

It took Vega an hour after calling the flat electrician on her phone (leaving a huge bill) before one came after an hour who figured out that _someone_ turned off the circuit breaker to their flat. The electrician wondered why would someone who would probably come from within the complex do such a thing, but Vega was already red with anger as she _positively knows who did it_.

There were days when Vega just wanted to give up.

Vega did admit to trying to consider moving out, and crying to her fiancé on the phone on odd hours, saying that she might have to take up living in a hotel for the meantime after everything that happened on the flat. As Gale threatened to beat up the man who was causing her grief, Vega found out that she can’t even give her fiancé his name…

Max caught her looking up cheaper flat rates at an obscure part of London at one point when she walked into her room, trying to invite her to dinner that one night when Tom did not come home. In between hand pulling and frustrated exchanges that was reduced to Vega almost crying, Max managed to convince her best friend to stay behind for _her_ , aside from the other points made when she was about to take the flat offer.

“Don’t leave me all alone with that wanker,” Max whined. “You know you’re the only one who can stand up to him –“

“I can’t really put up with this crusade for long,” Vega reasoned out, clearly looking exhausted.

“But really Vega!” Max exclaimed, clasping her hands over tea. “You’re _our_ only hope! _Please don’t do this_. **”**

Gritting her teeth as she convinced herself that she’d probably give the flat and Tom a month before reconsidering actually moving out, she gripped Max’s hand in reply and said, “ ** _Remember, I’m staying for you_.** _”_

But there was one evening when Vega suddenly walked into her room, only to find out that the old favorite art-deco wooden chair she picked out of a garage sale for free and shipped all the way from Melbourne to London suddenly had white suspicious marks all over it, not to mention the fact that there was a suspicious red drapery made of expensive fabric draped over it… seemingly drenched in fluids. Poor girl was freaking out as she had the chair scrubbed, cleaned to its every inch… only to have it sent away and chopped for firewood to be burned along with that red velvet fabric it was found with.

“ **FUCK NUT!** ” She screamed as she threw her soiled rug against the chair she has cherished and loved for more than five years, almost in tears. “ **THIS IS IT! THIS IS THE LAST STRAW!** _”_

She fell on Max’s beanbag lying in the middle of the living room as she contemplated axing her beloved chair for firewood. It had only been a day since she promised Max that she’d continue on with this hopeless crusade against Tom and his libido for at least 29 more days, and she’s running out of ideas. Not to mention her patience.

Slowly succumbing to exhaustion, suddenly Vega raised her head from her arms, a lightbulb seemingly switching on her head. She suddenly thought of a dastardly plan to put an end to all this insanity – a prank that will outdo all that she has done, or even that fucktard has plotted. _If Tom doesn’t lose his shit with what I’m about to do, drop his fake and stupid chivalrous ways despite being a pervert_ ; Vega thought. _Then consider me throwing in the towel and raising the white flag since I suck at this to the highest level and I need to surrender. Move out._

A smile spread on Vega’s face as what she thought of would even make middle schoolers and teenage summer campers shudder with fear.

 

***

 

_630am._

Vega sits on the stool munching on her cereals, looking deviously and patiently at the door.

She doesn’t usually get up this early, considering she’s up late at night either working or surfing, or gossiping with either Sasha or Carrie, if not waiting for a message from Gale. But for this one particular day, Vega convinced herself to get out of bed if she wanted things to _actually push through_.

As much as she didn’t want to care, Vega found herself mapping out her flatmates’s waking hours. After days and days of enduring pranks from the sexual deviant who slept next to her room, Vega figured out from the time Tom lets his fuckbuddies go – he still manages to get up at 6 o’ clock am to take a morning jog and takes an hour before he comes back and makes breakfast for himself.

Of course, this was based on her observation, her painstaking research from Max who usually does her groceries and goes to her sister’s bakery three blocks away for the morning sale, and general knowledge around the flat. She was too lazy to get up, be the morning person she doesn’t want to be, and actually pay attention to what Tom usually does. _I actually want to motherfucking move out of the flat because of the man-bitch_ , she told herself. _I am doing this for that one last trick that just might work_.

Again, she wasn’t used to being up this early, but since she was way up before her actual waking time, Vega found herself to be hungry – as she made her breakfast alongside that _suspicious chocolate mixture that she set up for this particular prank_.

After working so hard after that one peaceful night when Tom went home on his own way past midnight (despite the obvious hickeys on his neck), Vega has set up her plot and her contraption, enough to put _the indignant man-whore in his place_ , as she would say.

So she sat there, looking like Macaulay Culkin left home alone on Christmas Day, patiently munching on her crunchies.

 

_7am._

Vega was now painstakingly bored, stirring her flat white coffee as she leaned on her hand that stood perpendicular to the surface of the kitchen counter, thinking about that expensive pudding she had to haul in last night after realizing that she wouldn’t find anything of the sort in the fridge again after Tom managed to hide all his sweets considering what she just did with his precious desserts.

 _Anytime now_ , she grumbled in her head, itching for something to happen.

Her breath was hitched, her emotions riddled with anxiety and anticipation, considering that this brilliant plot only came to her a day ago after Tom had her massacre her beloved wooden seat. Vega then realized as she watched the clock tick 7:05am that she had already leaned over the table, her eyes plastered on the door, waiting for something to happen…

As much as she had put this plan into motion, she realized that there is nothing more satisfying to this little petty war she started with that “rude and disgusting baboon” than seeing him fall into her trap.

 _He has been unbearable and senseless for this past week_ , Vega thought, gritting her teeth… listening to the clock. _And after all that fucking stupid retaliation Tom has done after the pudding incident, I finally have the upper hand –_

Vega suddenly stiffened all over as she raised her head when the door squeaked open.

_SPASH!_

 

The bucket she has held up over the door by tying one end to the knob and trapping the other end to the frame suddenly tilted as it splashed the figure standing in front of it with chocolate from head to toe.

Vega quickly jumped to her feet, watching her masterpiece come to motion, as a wide smile spread all over her face –

 

“ ** _AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!_** ”

 

That exact moment, the door to Tom’s room burst open as the man looked out to see what commotion was happening in the living room. Vega turned around and found her supposed prey standing horrified in his 6-foot-2 glory as he gaped blindingly at the figure drenched in chocolate syrup and pudding as the part of Vega’s contraption suddenly tilted and fell to the side, splashing the figure with even more brown goo.

Vega found herself wincing, half-thanking herself that she didn’t choose to use the steel bucket or else that person who currently fell for her trap may have been unconscious due to a possible head concussion.

“What on earth –“ Tom exclaimed, face distorted in complete irony as he let go off his own door.

“BUT I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING FOR A JOG –“ Vega screamed at him defensively.

He suddenly snapped back onto a snobbishly cold mode and looked at his roommate from head to toe, saying, “I was going to the gym –“

That was when a roaring voice emerged from the chocolate monster.

 

“ **NITWITS!!!** ”

 

Vega felt a shiver run from her spine, realizing her critical error, when she realized that it was Max – who went out earlier for groceries and had to return back home for the pack of butter her sister requested for that she left in the refrigerator.

The little woman found herself covering her mouth with her hands, as Tom found himself dropping his flat-faced charade as he worriedly looked at his other roommate covered in a sticky solution.

 

“ **YOU –** “ Max pointed a shaking chocolatey finger at Vega.

“I SWEAR I DIDN’T MEAN FOR YOU TO –“

“ **THIS MOTHERFUCKING RIDICULOUS WAR OF YOURS HAS GONE TOO FAR!** ” Max bellowed as Vega shuddered on the spot, drowning in guilt for having her other best friend, the only one she trusted, the only one who believed in her, dragged into this horrible prank she plotted for the sexual deviant who was standing frozen to her side as well. “ **ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!** ”

Tom opened his mouth when all of a sudden; Max was pointing her finger at him as well.

“ **SHUT YOUR TRAP, HIDDLESTON _,_** ” she growled, causing him to widen his eyes and close his mouth in reply. “ **I DON’T WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOUR FILTHY ENGLISH MOUTH HAS TO SAY BECAUSE YOU’RE IN THIS TOO.** ”

He swore he never felt afraid since his elementary teacher who stood as tall as Max almost told him off in the same manner almost thirty years ago.

The woman, looking horrifying with her eyes open wide, flinging chocolate around the welcome mat, looking a bit like Carrie before she lost her shit and burned the town down; screamed and jumped on the spot once – probably waking up the neighbors with her shrill voice, before she marched with heavy footsteps towards the bathroom, leaving a chocolatey trail behind her, slamming the door shut with a loud bang.

Ashamed, horrified, and guilty, Vega found herself exhaling a full minute after Max disappeared into the loo.

“Oh God –“

She was still in the zone of agonizing regret when Tom suddenly opened his mouth and spoke –

“ _Pathetic_.”

Vega was still recovering from the shock despite the unnatural high she was feeling before the plan backfired, when she was suddenly burning with a whole new emotion when she heard the man speak. “I beg your pardon?” She didn’t realize how much her voice shook as she answered to the way he mocked her with how he flatly said those words.

Crossing his arms, he turned to her and said plainly, “ **I said you were pathetic.** ”

Vega felt herself shake all over as she looked at the man who answered her back with full force during the past few days, undoing all her plots and pranks, even having her destroy her own property and contemplate leaving, rendering her completely useless and powerless to the way he controlled and showed dominance over the flat they shared –

She knew she tried to open her mouth to contradict his words, something about his thinning hairline or how lanky he looked, or how he couldn’t act – but she knew the last statement was untrue and the rest would probably bounce off his curls like stupid little statements he gleefully laughed about in the middle of an interview.

Vega swore her brain suddenly went blank as she found herself completely incapable of shooting down or thinking of a comeback to Tom’s insult…

…as she lost all her inhibitions when she jumped on him and tackled him to the ground.

Tom could only drop his jaw as the girl seized him by his waist and pushed him on the carpet, moving quicker than lightning (a testament to her sporting skills) when she suddenly mounted him in less than a minute, successfully throwing a punch or two to his angled face.

As much as he winced in pain, somewhat allowing the raging Vega to bruise his cheeks with her knuckles, he managed to break free of how she pinned his wrists down as he caught her hand still balled up into a fist, preventing her from landing another smack to his face.

Somewhat pulled into fist fights before, Tom swore he would have landed a punch or two to his attacker – but knowing that _this is Vega_ , he just managed to blank out and only attempt to defend himself, with a small voice in his brain saying that he had it coming all the while. The least he could do was to take advantage of her blind fury as he managed to see an opening as he seized her wrists and turned her over to her back, pinning her to the ground.

Growling like a caged animal, containing all her anger for almost half a month to just be held down by a perverted man who called himself her “brother”, Vega managed to knee him in the groin – causing Tom to howl out like a wounded dog as he bent himself over her, wincing as he released her left wrist to cradle his crotch.

Quicker before he could even moan “Owwie”, Vega managed to grab his free hand and had him flat on his stomach, twisting his arm as he sat on top of him… her other hand slowly tangling into his delicate curls, shooting sharp pain right into his scalp as she lifted his head from the floor after a few seconds of grinding his face against the rough, old carpet.

“Ahhh, ahhh, ahhh,” Tom groaned miserably as his jaw hang loose with his vision slowly getting blurry, with his face contorted in pain as Vega pulled on his locks as much as she could, her hands shaking as her jaw clenched – mirroring all of the anger she has been hiding from him for days… or even years.

She villainously yet victoriously lowered her face to his ear, whispering menacingly – “ ** _You deserve this motherfucking shit, you officious English piranha –_** _“_

Before she could finish her statement, she suddenly froze into place as the two battling figures on the old carpet were sloshed down with a cold and sticky mixture.

Her face suddenly covered in brown goo, Vega looked up to find a stern yet horrid looking Max who was still covered in the same liquid, holding up the container that fell on her head that still contained one third of the solution – enough to cover at least half of the two wrestler’s bodies on the floor.

Throwing the bucket aside, Max hissed, “ **YOU TWO – CLEAN UP THIS MESS.** ”

Tom managed to wrench himself free of Vega, who rolled over to her back, as Max stomped away to the kitchen. As their male roommate caught his breath, his opponent tried to calm down as she lay still, shuddering with shock and a bit of pain on the floor. Gasping and shuddering, he dared to look at the woman who held him in a compromising position earlier – only to end up exchanging murderous glares with her.

“This isn't over,” Vega hissed at him as she angrily flicked a huge wad of chocolate and pudding straight into his face.


	23. Atonement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max wants peace in the flat and instructs her warring roommates to apologize to each other in a sentimental manner.

“SHE STARTED IT!”

“I WOULDN’T HAVE DONE IT IF YOU WEREN’T SUCH A PRUDISH SEXUAL DEVIANT –“

“MY SEXUAL LIFE IS MY OWN, WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH YOU –“

“I’M YOUR ROOMMATE, YOU DUMBASS –“

 

Fred was present during the so-called “Flat Hearing”, but despite hiding his face behind his palm the entire time Max stood in front of her two roommates arguing like children; he was actually trying so hard to hide the endless snickering that was improper for the current situation.

An “intervention” was called to order that lunch time in the flat after Max had to apologize to her sister for not getting the butter on time, Tom had to raincheck a meeting till the evening, and Vega was thankful that it was a weekend or else she had to call in sick yet again. Of course, everyone had to be squeaky-clean and have the flat free of the sticky goo that was “the little shrimp’s doing” by the time the meeting was called to order. How they got Tom and Vega to cooperate was a miracle, but it had hissing and glaring involved.

Now sitting across each other, as Fred has instructed, in order to stop Vega from tearing at Tom’s curls with her bare hands again; the two roommates have continued to scream and point fingers at each other. Acting just like what they claim to be – siblings having petty quarrels, but one would consider the many pranks and the sexual undertones on each something that isn’t that petty anymore.

Both parties had to shut their traps when Max suddenly marched into the scene, reeking with a strict headmistress’s aura and definitely still annoyed, although having the chocolate and the sticky stuff washed out from her hair after standing under the shower for almost an hour.

“Are you _both_ done?” she hissed, sounding even more sinister than the Trickster God that was played on the big screen by the guilty-looking man who refuses to own up to his crime.

Tom was about to open his mouth to speak, when Vega raised her hands and said, “Look, Max, I didn’t really mean to –“

“Really?” Her upset friend hissed. “Didn’t you think that _maybe_ , just _maybe_ it wasn’t Lanky-Green-Mind right here was going to walk through the door?”

The man winced and crossed his arms. “Let me ask you something,” he tried to reason out with Darkjade. “Why am I even in this?”

“ ** _BECAUSE IF YOU WEREN’T SUCH A SEXUALLY-FRUSTRATED DICK THEN VEGGIE-ROTTEN-PIE HERE WOULDN’T HAVE SET UP THAT CHOCOLATE MONSTER CONTRAPTION IN THE FIRST PLACE!_** ” Max exploded, causing Tom to raise his hands in some sort of surrender as he sat up straight against his chair.

He then turned to his buddy who was sitting right next to him on the table, subtly looking to Fred for moral support, but all the Scot could do was shrug as he wore that grin he couldn’t erase from his face.

“I’m sorry if I needed to procreate –“ Tom muttered under his breath in a sassy manner as he rolled his eyes.

“Fuck you cuntwad, not one of those women was your wife –“

“Seriously Vega,” Tom said in a stern tone. “If you don’t stop with the filthy name calling, I’ll –“

“You’ll what?!”

“I’ll –“

“ ** _I’LL MOTHERFUCKING HIT BOTH OF YOUR HEADS WITH THAT STEEL PIPE ATTACHED TO THE KITCHEN VENT IF YOU BOTH DON’T STOP BEING CHILDISH LITTLE PRUDES WHO ARE ENDLESSLY BICKERING ON AN ENDLESS WAR THAT HAS NO POINT,_** ” Max bellowed, causing Fred to wince and cover his ears, earning him a glare from the woman.

Both parties quieted down, but the disdain and shock on their faces could not be erased.

“Please,” Tom tried to reason out once he thought Max had calmed down. “No need to be rude.”

Raising her hands and lowering them in an attempt to control her temper, Max looked up to find Vega picking out something from the metal dining table, a small dent that nobody has noticed before. She has stopped paying attention to the discussion, and a tinge of despondence in her face as she the thought of leaving the flat crossed her head.

Blinking twice and remembering the time when she saw the flat offer ads on Vega’s iPad, Max crossed her arms and frowned at her two roommates.

“I wouldn’t be rude, Tom,” Max said in a regulated voice, trying to be diplomatic. “If we at least all showed respect in this flat. I would say that I am disappointed in both of you,” she exclaimed. “You,” she exclaimed turning to the girl who wouldn’t even dare look in her direction. “I was expecting that you’d be mature than that, setting up traps as if you’re Kevin McAllister left alone in Illinois –“

Vega looked up, looking positively confused. “But you said I was the only brave one to –“

Max suddenly widened her eyes, and growled like Cruella de Vil, causing Vega to sink back into her seat in fear. “ ** _HUSH_** _,”_ she howled in a curt manner, making Tom wonder what was that all about.

“You,” Max said, making a disgusted face at the tall crane sitting idly like Loki forced to face the Allfather after pretending to be a woman in love with Thor. “You’re _motherfucking_ Tom Hiddleston whom all the other women are in love with because _you’re such a gentleman_ , what happened?”

Tom subtly glared at Fred and a menacing aura suddenly emanated from the man, as his eyes became livid upon answering the question. “My libido happened,” he exclaimed as-a-matter-of-factly.

“ ** _Well then control it_ ,” **Max hissed back, almost lunging at him across the table, threatening to do something worse than those bruises that Tom couldn’t hide on his cheekbones, victorious marks that Vega has left on his face. “ ** _You’re living with women, for God’s sakes_.** _”_

As the man sank on his seat, listening to his female friend tell him off for the deliberate misbehavior he’s been doing for days, he felt himself looking at the girl sitting right across him… having heard the words she has been trying to say from another woman’s mouth. He suddenly saw Fred lean towards him to whisper, “ _I told you so._ ”

“Yes ma’am” Tom answered flatly, although with sincerity in it. “It won’t happen again.”

Nodding curtly as if to accept the apology, Max turned to look at Vega who just bit her lip and look away as if she was reprimanded by her mother for flunking Physics. Silence reigned over the flat after almost a month of silent raging wars, particularly between the two adults who sat like children across each other on the cold metal dining table.

Wringing his hands, clearly uncomfortable with the silence, Fred watched Max sit on the empty chair as her fury slowly melted away.

“If we are to solve this problem,” Fred suggested, praying that he won’t be subjected to Max’s fury as well. “We need to know how it started.”

Max rolled her eyes.

“It had to do something about Tom’s pudding –“

Tom sighed. “Come on Max, it was seasonal eastern pud –“ He suddenly found himself shutting up once the woman glared at him, realizing that he just interrupted her. Quickly killing the small flame, he uttered a small “Sorry” and shrank back into his corner of obscurity.

Clearing her throat, Max said, “As I was saying – This little petty squabble of theirs started when Tom’s pudding set disappeared, and then someone touched Vega’s nephew’s Tim-tams.”

As silence fell over the four friends all over again, Vega’s words on the first day of their squabble ringed in Tom’s head – those words that claimed on how her nephew used his own savings just to buy the chocolate that he melted and smeared all over himself for his woman to eat –

He felt his insides suddenly burn with guilt as the girl lifted her glare from the table, as she turned to look at him, seemingly as if she could see through his indiscretion…

“I know!” Max suddenly piped up.

“Please tell me you’ve calmed down,” Fred muttered under his breath as the woman who was throwing a fit for having been covered from head to toe with chocolate earlier suddenly got up her feet, startling their two other warring companions.

“Max,” Tom whined, trying to reason out with her. “We’re really sorry –“

Vega was about to retort when Max waved Tom’s apology off and said, “Oh hush, Thain. The point is moot if you apologize to me and you two start another commotion against each other that might end up burning the flat down…” She smirked and snorted. “So much for my down payment and your investment, Tom.”

Tom closed his mouth as Vega turned to look at him with another burning glare.

“And besides! Thain and Aeoren – fighting?! Can you imagine what will the girls say if this continues? Can you imagine if you bring it all the way to a point that you’d _end up splitting up the team?_ Sure at first it was all cute and flirting – BUT YOU’RE DOWN TO ALMOST MURDERING EACH OTHER THAT ITS NOT CUTE ANYMORE! Do you think _we_ would allow you two hard-headed parrots to live and let be with your rated-R qualms?!” Max said with an ironic flare. “You two _zealots_ , can’t even put aside a rivalry just for once don’t you?”

The two found each other exchanging scowls at each other.

“But there’s an idea –” Suddenly bringing her hands together, Max puffed her cheeks and smiled brightly, as if a brilliant idea crossed her mind. “Since you’re so bitter about your stolen dessert,” she pointed at Tom who pretty much shrugged, despite how offending it sounded. “And you’re harping on Seth’s chocolate that has been turned to sex fodder… Why don’t you both just get each other what have been lost?”

“WHAT?!” Vega hissed as she leaned forward, baring her teeth.

Tom shrugged and let out a small cocky smirk. “Sounds fine with me.”

Max then found herself shaking her head and clucking her tongue. “Sounds too easy,” she looks over to Fred who was about to raise a finger but ended up slouching against his chair in resignation. “This little ‘task’ should appear more of a punishment than a little ‘sorry gesture’ between you lot,” she hissed at her two friends.

“The gifts you must present to each other must be twice the amount of the products stolen,” Max decreed as she set her hands on the table, her word functioning as law within the premises.

“Fine with me,” Tom said, making an expression akin to someone who had nothing to lose.

“Oh and Vega,” Max added with a sneer. “You’re not allowed to buy the pudding. _You’re going to have to cook it._ ”

Vega tried pushing back the table in frustration as she ended up throwing her hands upwards instead, finding it hard to ignore the fact that a small mischievous grin appeared on her nemesis’s lips as he looked away after seeing her expression. “Max?!” she whined, clearly upset. “How could you?!”

“No Vega!” Max shot back. “How could _you_ create a machine to torture your stupid little Asgardian bitch with, and end up drenching _me_ with the chocolate?! Think about that!”

Vega found herself shrinking in her chair realizing that the greatest damage to the flat, the fact that they had to send two expensive rugs to the cleaners with an expensive bill, was all because of her stupid plan that backfired.

“If anyone has violent reactions, you are free to throw apples at Mr. McAllister here,” Max said carelessly, ignoring Fred’s retorts. “That’s what he gets for not intervening at the right time. Flat court adjourned!”

 

***

 

Vega wouldn’t say that she hated cooking, but the fact is she actually loved it.

She loved it since it reminded her of the time she spent experimenting with her gourmet genius of a father in his kitchen, creating new dishes that her relatives would fawn over. She usually ends up making those obscurely known salads with chickpeas and potatoes when she’s all alone in her flat in Melby when she feels a little bit homesick. Vega actually loves cooking, especially desserts – those sweet flavored fritters that she used to bring to movie nights with her old roommates.

But the one time she hated standing in front of a pan, the one time she swore she would never pick up a ladel for – was the fact that she had to cook for Tom.

Lazier than a high school girl being harried to review for a test, she found herself whining as she searched the nearest grocery for the quick-mix type of pudding. She grabbed the cheapest brand she could find… till Max sent her a text message warning her to serve Tom only with the best quality, proving that once again her best friend knows her inside and out.

Vega got to work that night (running late against Max’s stupid “deadline” that was supposedly the day after) just as the woman told her to stop lazying about so she wouldn’t have to worry about making the “Penance Pudding” anymore. Upset and pissed off, she found herself stealing Max’s pink apron in a vengeful mode as she thought about getting it soiled as much as she can, as she strapped on her headphones and started working around the empty kitchen.

What she didn’t expect at all is Tom coming home earlier than he said he would, despite previously claiming after the “Breakfast Jury Meeting” that he was supposed to have another dinner with some random model – probably another of his “undercover dates” to confuse the press and the paparazzi after running around with random women for the past six months.

His presence that suddenly warmed up the kitchen didn’t make Vega happy at all and she couldn’t hide the displeasure from her face the moment he stood in front of her with a sincere grin – something he hasn’t given her for days ever since their war started – as he set not two, but _three_ packs of caramel double-filled Tim-Tams on the kitchen counter in front of her.

“An extra one for luck,” he whispered biting his lip, admiring the way she pulled down those precious TARDIS headphones to rest on her shoulders, as she stood there looking at him with a silent fury in Max’s adorable Hello Kitty apron that covered her polka-dotted long-sleeved shirt that was thrown over a pair of old leggings. The way her glasses sat askew on her face didn’t help at all with Tom trying to forget why he found himself relishing and searching the warmth of various women in the first place, realizing that this woman who stood in front of him with much contempt was enough of a reason for him to regret everything he did wrong ever since she moved in the flat…

Vega then tore her eyes from him, his expensive suit, and that unbuttoned dress shirt… as he felt a choking feeling around his neck disappear, allowing him to watch her transfer the pot of sweet-smelling liquid to another stove.

“I’m…” Tom quickly spoke as he stared at her small frame, as she stood with her back to him, ignoring his presence. “I’m sorry.”

She didn’t answer as she continued stirring the pudding she was tasked to make for him as a form of apology, holding the packet on one hand, squinting through the kitchen lights as she tried to read the Kanji off the back of the cardboard box.

“I was being an improper roommate,” he whispered as he nervously ran his hand against his neck, trying to wipe away the sweat as he stood there, anxious of what the woman has to say. “I was rude, immature, and positively ungentlemanly.”

It took a whole minute of silence and awkwardness before Vega even said a word.

“You had me destroy my six-year-old favorite chair,” her voice sounded like a lost child angry at her older brother for stealing her beloved teddy bear. “You did other unspeakable things… I don’t even know who you are anymore.”

Tom stood silent upon hearing those painful words, unable to answer against her contempt... _I don’t even know who you are anymore_ … Despite the fact they used to be so close, hearing those words made it feel as if she shot a bullet through his chest.

In an attempt of a retort, he thought about the things Vega did in vengeance… He thought about damaged property, and he thought about those red marks that were still visible on his right cheek. But he didn’t dare mention any of those against what the girl just said, in an attempt to finally let the flames of their war slowly die down.

“What I did was unacceptable and inhuman,” Tom sighed as he closed his eyes. He hated himself. He found himself so loathsome for having to apologize to the same woman after impulsively acting over the leftover aches inside of him. “…and I got carried away.” He found himself pushing the pack of three towards an unreceptive Vega, who still stood with her back to him.

“Let this be the start of my endless apology and my promise to behave,” he whispered as he winced, realizing that he was once again _pleading_ with her. For her to notice him, for her to accept his heartfelt apology, for her to stop hurting him… “As well as for the other reforms of attitude I am to do for the days to come.”

Vega once again stood silent, stopping her stirring to massage the bridge of her nose as she raised her glasses and have it sit on top of her head.

“I’ve heard that kind of apology before…”

For a moment, Tom raised his eyebrows upon recognizing the tone of her voice… He heard the Vega who sounded so devastatingly heartbroken and angry as she sat in the World Bar Café, close to tears as she berated him of his impulsive actions before she left London… He found himself slowly being drenched with a mix of nostalgia and guilt as he waited for her to continue her statement, bracing himself for another painful retort as he watched her play with the ring on her finger…

To his surprise she answers in a monotonous tone as she raised her head without looking at him.

“Thank you,” she whispered as she straightened up and started stirring in the pot once more. “I apologize as well…”

Tom found himself heaving a sigh of relief upon hearing her words. He would admit that it lifted his spirits, although it still pained him that she couldn’t say those words to his face.

Without turning around, Vega then said, “I’m sorry again, but your pudding will not be ready tonight. I’ll have it prepared by tomorrow.”

Nodding, he moves away and decides to give her space with what she’s doing… somewhat satisfied with the short discussion and exchange of apologies that finally signified the end of their stupid and childish little war that they eventually dub in the future as something petty and crazy… but something they will never forget.

As Tom retreated to his room, Vega found herself wiping away tears from both eyes as she stopped shaking, glad that she didn’t turn around and have the man realize how vulnerable and emotionally compromised she was at that time when he was trying to talk to her.

 

 

***

 

The poor girl was exhausted by the time she had refrigerated the finished pudding in the refrigerator. She had no plans, no safety measures, and she didn’t even try to think of what Tom might do that night after that little “truce” they had as Max forced it, thinking that the man would set his sexual libido aside for at least one day for Max’s sake.

She slept with a little bit of peace in her mind, hopeful that Tom would behave, and somewhat relieved that the tension in the flat had been resolved. For the first time, Vega was able to eat dinner in peace on the dining room table, despite Max being stern and silent (that reminded her so much of her mother when she was displeased with her) and Tom’s absence due to his…

Honestly, Vega didn’t care anymore.

The man promised to behave so she trusted him.

But she didn’t count on him still trying to satisfy his sexual urges despite everything.

She was woken up by a faint moan, only to be gently muffled by a stern male voice asking the woman to keep it down… the female voice suddenly being silenced by what seemed to be a rough kiss.

Vega found herself removing the pillow from her face and upon checking her clock, she realized that it was only a quarter past two. Somewhat realizing Tom’s attempted discretion and utter silence, she berated the man in her head for his lack of control and the fact that he couldn’t get enough when he promised that he would try to stop…

With her bones aching for working on that one thing she didn’t feel like doing the entire day, Vega could barely move and was left to listen to her roommate struggle to be quiet, seductive and predatory despite speaking in low tones…

The hushed discussions between Tom and his lady friend that could slightly be heard through the thin walls didn’t comfort Vega either.

 

“ _Darling, darling…”_

_“Oh Tom…”_

_“I have one little request…”_

_“Unghhh… Anything…”_

_“Please… please pull my hair…”_

 

Vega found herself frown with the fact that she just discovered one of Tom’s kinks and she preferred not knowing too much about the man she once wanted to know better.

 

“ _Oh yes…”_

_“Do you like that, Tommy boy?”_

_“Yes… yes… harder… just like that…”_

 

Trying to disregard the incident and the conversation as something stupid, wondering why a man (or even a woman) would subject themselves to pain in relation to coitus. As much as she hated him at that moment, it was less than her disdain and fury for him for the past few days, and she was willing to shut up and keep the peace in the flat for at least one night. Let this one slip by…

Vega pulled out the pillow her head rested on as she placed both of her pillows over her head in an attempt to drown out the sounds that were somewhat leaking from her other roommate’s room…

And then the unthinkable happened.

 

“ _Yes! Yes! Just like that Vega…_ ”

 

Her eyes suddenly shot open in the increased darkness under the set of two pillows cutting off her oxygen as she flung both of them on the floor, a horrified look plastered on her face as it emerged.

It felt as if she was drenched with cold water when she heard Tom utter _her_ name in the middle of coitus. A long mighty shudder went through her body as she squinted and tried to listen again, half-praying that she heard him wrong and it’s just her imagination… Although Vega thought that if it was the latter, she would never look at her inner conscience the same way again…

But of course, she heard things that made her feel even more uncomfortable.

 

“ _What?! My name is Annie—_ “

“ _Oh I’m sorry darling,_ ” came Tom’s monotonous hushed tone. “ _Uttered the wrong name –_ “

“ _That is just –_ “

 

Vega found herself clutching the blankets closer to her body as she heard the woman in Tom’s bed be silenced with a muffled kiss. She could still hear her garbled retorts as what she thought to be her male roommate’s passionate smothering halting the words from escaping her mouth… with Tom’s grunts and groans being obvious that he was close to his climax.

She didn’t know whether she should be furious that Tom wasn’t true to his word… or because of what she _heard him say_. Well she should give him a bit of credit since he did try to _quiet down_ , compared to those other nights where he blatantly was flaunting the fact that he has a sex life – and with one too many partners to mention. But the fact that Tom slipped, the fact that she heard him – albeit not clearly since she did unhook the speakers he had installed in her room that was attached to a microphone hidden in his room – but she was sure that she heard him say her name…

And this somewhat frightened Vega.

It frightened her with the fact that with everything that happened, the flat, the sexual deviancy, the stolen glances, the suggestive smirks, the entire food-related war they waged against each other for the past days… And she could still remember the softness in his smile, the pleading in those eyes that seemed to cry crocodile tears (after all this is Tom, his acting prowess surpasses the standard and who knew if his sincerity is also part of his craft…), Vega thought about everything the man has turned into in the span of a year…

And after everything that happened, everything that transpired, everything that has been said… The fact that Tom _probably still thinks of her while he’s in bed with another woman_ boils down to the fact that –

Vega made a sour face and tried not to think of it as she realized that she was wrinkling the well-ironed sheets she was hiding in, seeing that she has bunched them in her palms…

She blindly fumbled in the dark, looking for her headphones with its newly replaced batteries, placing it awkwardly over her head and propping her retrieved pillow on her face as she put Beethoven’s music on full blast, hoping it could send her right to sleep before she could even hear a trace of her roommate’s orgasm.

 

 

***

 

 

“I motherfucking can’t bloody believe you, mate.”

“I couldn’t say no.”

“You couldn’t say no to your little Tom junior –“

“It’s not that, but she was crying and she was lonely and Timothy did reject her for Diane –“

 

Tom and Fred were too busy discussing, one reprimanding the other, and the other defending his actions. They were caught up trying to point out the solidity to their alibis while trying to be quiet and behaved over their shared convenience-store bought breakfasts that they didn’t even notice Vega emerging from her room, as she made her way towards the refrigerator, pulling out the pudding that was done overnight.

 

“I swear she came to me –“

“Uhm…”

“—and she had this drink in her hand,” Tom continued, oblivious to the fact that Vega has turned around and was glaring at the back of his head.

“Tom…” Fred tried to warn him, his eyes straying to the little brunette girl standing next to the refrigerator behind his friend.

“—and she started stroking my chest, you know I get the shivies when a girl does that –“

“Tom –“

 

Without warning, he was about to utter another word when he felt something wet and slimy move from his head to the back of his neck, as he realized that he was suddenly shivering cold, feeling sticky and drenched despite the fact that he did take a shower (albeit not alone) that morning. He looked down on himself as he wiped off a beige jelly like substance from his head that was accompanied with a thicker brown liquid.

However, he felt like jumping out of his seat when a half-filled bowl was slammed right beside him on the table by Vega, who emptied the other half on his head.

“ ** _There,_** ” she heaved, clearly fuming as she dared to look in Tom’s puppy dog eyes that seemed to question what prompted her to do all of that.

Vega knew the repercussions of what she just did, and she knew that this would enrage Max… The woman would probably make her do the task all over again. And after acquiring peace and having the most delusional bastard in the flat to cooperate with the task and apologize to her, it slipped Vega’s mind about the consequences that this little outburst could bring.

 _But what I heard last night is disturbing enough_ , a small voice spoke in her head as she took in that horrified and pained look on Tom’s face as bits of pudding slid down his still-bruised cheeks.

“ ** _There’s your motherfucking pudding, Thain_.** ” Vega found herself speaking as if she was in a trance as she lobbed a dirty ladle she was randomly holding in the half-full pudding bowl, before marching back into her room to grab her towel and prepare for work.

All of this transpired as Fred and Tom sat horrified through another uneaten breakfast with dairy and caramel pouring down the latter’s face.

“You never get anything right, don’t you?” Fred exclaimed, still aghast.

Tom felt his shoulders sink as he reviewed what happened the night before that would have probably prompted his secretly favorite (and most frustrating) roommate to suddenly go against their truce… When he suddenly turned pale realizing that maybe _she heard everything that he said despite trying to keep it down_.

“Oh Lord,” the man groaned as he covered his face with shame.


	24. A Little Party Never Killed Nobody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still not talking to Tom, Vega goes to the Way 20th Anniversary Celebration with a 1920s theme. Now what she would wear to that event? She prefers that one of her roommates wouldn't find out.

Vega was lucky that Tom and Fred decided to cover up her little “indiscretion” from Max, mopping up the floor and the former taking a quick shower before his other female roommate got home.

Whether they did it out of pity over Vega’s sudden temper tantrum, or just to keep the peace – she didn’t really find out why. But she was completely baffled to find Max in a good mood and with a basket of muffins to pass around when she emerged from cowering within her quarters, secretly wanting to watch the Disney Pixar Marathon on Channel 7 by lunchtime. She did notice the subtle looks from the two boys, but if there was one thing Vega regretted on not doing was thanking both of them for shutting up. But honestly, she was grateful that they did.

Now for Tom, his sexual activity in the flat almost completely decreased – especially during that week when Vega opted to do overnights at Carrie’s flat in preparation for an overhaul of an issue they were planning to release towards the start of Autumn. He thought she was spending her nights out on purpose because of what happened that evening before she threw pudding all over his head. Honestly (despite the fact it was all about work), Vega just needed some space from the flat and wanting some serious sleep. But half of the truth was she was so ashamed to face Tom after breaking their truce, finding out eventually that the man tried to cover up for her temper tantrum.

The appearance of his fuck buddies also waned, at least in the flat – with Tom keeping true to his word of trying to “behave”. Although there were some nights when Max would notice him coming home late, with his clothes ruffled, as he reeked of champagne and expensive female cologne. There were mornings when Vega would just eat her cereal on the breakfast table and ignore the huge obvious hickey on her male roommate’s neck while he ate his waffles, while he tried helplessly to cover it up with his scarf or collar. But nonetheless, Vega had her well-deserved sleep, Max had her peace, and Tom had his female friends back – sort of.

But ever since the day the well-made pudding slid down Tom’s threadbare shirt, Vega did not really utter a word to his face. Either out of subtle dislike, or shame after assaulting him in the middle of their “ceasefire”, she implied neither.

But as much as she avoided him subtly (without appearing as rash and rude as she was a year ago after that Afterparty incident where the two of them had that “first kiss”), Tom admittedly wanted more than just the “civil” approach retained between him and Aeoren, and he somewhat wanted his friend back. But with the way Vega would just firmly smile at him, curtly decline his cooked breakfasts, and thanking him for doing part of her laundry, he knew that she needed some space. Being the respectful friend and roommate, Tom gave her at least that.

But the moment Vega’s late nights and overtimes towards the end of the season started to take a toll on her resistance, Tom couldn’t hide the fact that he does worry about her. But mostly, his concern was often voiced out by Max.

“Jesus Christ woman,” Max aired out one morning after Vega concluded her talk on the phone with her boyfriend, sneezing and coughing all the way. “Are you sure you’re not coughing out a lung?”

Unladylike with the way she wiped snot off with her sleeve, she fixed her glasses before getting up from the couch to wrinkle her nose at her friend, who sat next to their male roommie who was trying hard not to look at her as he ate through his hand-tossed salad.

“It’s nothing,” Vega said, sniffling again as Tom subtly raised an eyebrow. “I just slept late last night, that’s all.”

Max clucked her tongue. “That’s what my brother-in-law said before getting a fever three hours later,” she said in the same nagging manner her mother always did after phoning her in Melbourne, when she didn’t come home for a scheduled reunion. “Why don’t you call in sick today?”

“I don’t have work today,” Vega corrected her as-a-matter-of-factly, picking up her towel.

Her buddy subtly raised an eyebrow in reaction to her seatmate shrugging, listening to the entire exchange. “Where are you going then? Stay home and rest, biatch!”

Vega laughed in a monotonous tone at Max’s friendly “insult”, something she got used to doing ever since the smaller shrimp did the unthinkable “chocolate incident” on her.

“I’m going to get a perm, you dolt.”

 

 

***

 

Well she didn’t really run for the parlor till she had popped two pieces of that sweet-tasting Vitamin C at Max’s urging. What was ironic, the Vitamin C supplements in the house were the sweet-tasting ones from Tom’s stash. The man was actually the one who pushed the bottle towards her after eating breakfast, quietly looking at her as he drank through a glass of water. But still, Vega didn’t say anything.

The woman then was missing all morning and afternoon.

By the time she got back, it was almost five o’ clock and she was on the phone with Carrie, discussing gowns and cocktail dresses, as her hair bounced about her shoulders, set and curled to remain that way for about eight hours or more.

“Woman!” Max suddenly exclaimed the phrase she’d been screaming at her for almost the entire day. She stood up from the couch, getting a closer look at her friend who had to put the phone on hold. “Is it me or are your shoulders silkier –“

“Milk spa,” Vega muttered, winking, before getting back on the phone.

“Tch, Tom has no idea what he’s missing –“ Max exclaimed, only to have her roommate ignore her as she continued talking on the phone. “Oi!” Max tried to get her attention again as Vega placed her slip-on Converse chucks on the shoe rack before getting her robe. “Don’t tell me you’re going to a high-class party like that rich snob named Frederick –“

Grabbing her towel and making her way towards the shower room for a quick bubble bath, Vega tucked the phone between her shoulders and replied, “Something of that sort.” She then ended up waving her left hand at Max before disappearing into the bathroom.

Emerging from her cool bath thirty minutes later with only her white robe around her shoulders, Vega wouldn’t deny that she was on the phone the entire time with Carrie, gossiping about the people who would be appearing in the party. Walking out of the empty living room, she discovered that Max took a quick nap before running off to have dinner with her sister’s family again. Shuffling off to her bedroom, Vega realized that she has probably an hour or two to get ready.

“What time are we expected at The Deck?” asked her colleague over her sort of waterproof smart phone that survived a few splashes from the tub.

“Probably around 8pm,” Vega exclaimed as she closed the door behind her, opening her closet in the process. “So, are you ready for later? You have no idea who’s going to show up…”

“Well, Topher’s going to be there…” Her supervisor could only smile mischievously having heard her speak, biting her lips as she looked down, permed curls framing her face. “I heard that they have invited big names! Bloody hell, I wish my dress is classy enough if the paparazzi would show up!”

“Oh hush,” Vega exclaimed, running her thumbs from the unpacked formal dresses that hung inside her closet. “First thing, the paparazzi who might be there are most likely just _our guys_ from Photography; and please Carrie –“ she snorted. “I’ve seen that dress you got from Myer and that would definitely turn heads…” She caught herself chuckling. “Especially that boy-crush of yours.”

As giggles filled her earpiece, Vega found herself admiring her newly-manicured light blue nails, admitting to herself that talking to Carrie made her feel like a school girl again.

“It’s not fair!” The mousy blonde cried out. “You already got to see what I’m wearing! But I haven’t had any idea what you would be showing up with, Miss Vega!”

Blinking twice as she stopped threading her fingers through possible outfits, her hand landed on a particular black hanger that stood in the middle of the fray. A soft smile appeared on Vega’s lips as she pulled it out and laid it out on her bed, the deep blues contrasting against her white sheets, a familiar looking dress with its intricate sequins and laces that brought back memories both painful and sweet…

“It’s a surprise,” she whispered gleefully.

 

 

***

 

 

Towards 7pm, Vega emerged from her room, completely glowing with a wholly different aura despite of the fact that she was already dolled up with that familiar looking blue dress.

Still in her old faded flip-flops, she held her strappy silver high-heels in one hand and some sort of a rubber-based headstring that showcased a beautiful white feather adorned with silver glitter. She wore an intricate silver necklace with a few diamonds strewn in it that highlighted the silvery looking sequins that have already been sewn into that magnificent blue dress.

Slipping on her heels as she balanced herself on one foot, she suddenly looked up when she heard someone whistle from the kitchen area.

“That is one fine looking dress, Aeo,” Max gasped, making Vega subtly exhale a sigh of relief, realizing that it was just her. “And some nice looking feathers!” Her friend teased, standing up from the dining table and leaving her iPad behind still downloading torrents just so she could get a better look at her friend. “That sure is one posh party you’re attending.”

Vega let out a small laugh and said, “You could say that. Remember that ‘teambuilding’ I’ve been ‘preparing’ for all week? It’s the Way Anniversary – and it’s _tonight_.” Tilting her head a bit, she completely reveled in the way Max gawked at her entire get up. “…And we’re required to show up in 20’s clothing.”

Covering her mouth after circling her around once, Max exclaimed, “Jesus. You’re getting as classy as that McAllister – But it’s the dress I can’t get over.” Max circled her once again to take a better look at the detail. “This is high quality, woman! Where did you get it?”

Vega was half relieved that Max didn’t notice how a small sad smile spread upon her face. “I’ve had this baby for a year and a half now…” she bit her lip. “It was a gift.”

Taking her hand and smiling mischievously, Max joked, “Is it from your fiancé?”

Somehow, the joke made her even more uncomfortable as she retracted a bit from how Max touched her bare shoulder. “No…” Realizing the way her friend looked a bit surprised with her reaction, her look at her softened as she added, “Not at all…”

Rubbing her hands together, clearly jealous of how her friend has seemed to have upgraded her wardrobe without letting her know, Max looked like an excited little girl who got lost in the dress-me-up shop as she convinced Vega to show her more.

“Do a little spin for me!” she exclaimed.

Happy to oblige, but suddenly feeling conscious upon remembering the truth behind the dress, Vega turned on her heels and gave her friend a 360-degree turn, causing the skirt to balloon a bit before settling down on her legs. She decided to do another spin for a delighted looking Max, as she somewhat felt exhilarated with her reception towards that _particular_ dress.

Vega originally didn’t want to choose the infamous blue dress, and wanted to use an old white embroidered ensemble she inherited from her mum. However, that white embroidered ensemble needed another slip on underneath it to cover up her cleavage and Vega left it back home. The blue dress on the other hand, subtly did cause a lot of trouble and made her feel uncomfortable enough, considering its origins and the fact that the person who gave her wasn’t really a thousand miles away from her anymore. She knew that if _he_ saw it, _he’d definitely recognize it_ , and the thought of it just made Vega just a tad bit jumpy.

 _But bygones should be bygones_ , she said in her head, sighing. _And we even poured pudding and milk over it to seal the deal._

“What are you doing still standing there?” Max’s mocking voice snapped her out of her trance.

As much as she supported her best friend, you couldn’t erase the envy from the woman’s eyes. Although she doesn’t know the story behind it, realizing that the dress was a gift made Max subtly wish that a friend would get her a high-quality dress like that as well. Vega on the other hand made a mental note to do her best friend a favor and maybe get her a dress almost of this style for free the next time she gets her bonus. _A little trip to the Fashion District won’t hurt_ , she thought. _And maybe if Reba’s still there, I could get Max a nicer dress than this little thing that has too many painful knits to be considered all that beautiful_.

“You better get going,” her friend ushered her about, as Vega grabbed her small silver purse on the table. “It looks like that dress hasn’t seen action for a year now. You better flaunt it for what it’s worth.” Biting her lip, Max added, “Do you know how much it’s worth?”

“That’s the thing,” Vega said slowly, her memories coming back as she approached the door. “It was a gift.”

“You lucky whore,” Max said, slapping the girl on the shoulder, causing her to moan in pain in the middle of slipping her headband with the white feather on, sprinkling a bit of glitter on her permed black hair. “You better get going.”

“Thanks sis,” Vega said, hugging her impressed looking roomie. “One day you’ll be prized with a dress much beautiful than this one…”

Max rolled her eyes as her friend made her way for the elevator, clutching a white shawl she grabbed at the last minute. “That better not be on my wedding day!”

Vega left her laughing as she closed the elevator door in her friend’s face. She was still actually laughing to herself as she sat in the silence of the lift folding the shawl over her arm, smiling to herself remembering the awe and admiration of her friend when she saw her step out of her room. _To think about it, none of the girls saw this dress before_ , she thought as a bitter taste seemed to linger on the back of her throat. _I never thought it was that beautiful, considering the only person who saw this seemed to be biased about me wearing it –_

_Ding!_

Lifting her face from looking at the floor, Vega shook her head to dismiss the negative thoughts from her mind as she prepared to exit the lift.

The moment she did so, she felt herself grip her dangling long necklace in surprise, when she almost walked right into this tall man who had to stop himself from bumping right into her, doing a double take when she literally sashayed out of the lift in that entire ensemble.

“Where are you go –“ Tom almost choked on his words when he recognized the shade of blue and the details that clung to the woman’s waist as she politely side stepped to let him through. Unable to finish his sentence, the man ended up clutching his documents, leaving wrinkles on one edge as he gently watched the woman move right past him with the edges of her dress subtly touching the edge of his slacks.

By the time she turned around to politely address her roommate, Vega looked up at him only to realize that her worst nightmares have come true – Tom started looking at her in the same manner when she walked out of the Langham Elevator Lobby a year ago to meet him up for that Theatre Date he promised her. There was this certain twinkle in his eyes as if he forgot all the painful things he said during their fight a few weeks ago, and with the way he parted his lips, it made her feel so uncomfortable and unusually guilty for having herself be caught by him at a time like that.

“ _You kept it,_ ” he whispered, blinking slowly as he quickly pressed the ‘Hold’ button on the elevator just so he could keep looking at her. He was even thanking all the Gods that he was the only one to use the lift, or else he would have been forced to leave the scene right away.

Taking a deep breath, Vega knew she had to say something in that awkward moment.

“Who wouldn’t?” she answered as a-matter-of-factly, subtly looking at her jeweled watch. “It’s a really brilliant dress,” she exclaimed as she patted it with her free hand. “I’d be crazy if I threw it away. And besides, it’s the only best choice for where I’m going…”

She felt herself exhale once again, realizing that this was the first time they spoke formally ever since the pudding incident. It used to be just curt “Hello’s” and “Thank you’s”, but Tom just knew he had to say something seeing her all dolled up like that…

“Well,” Tom spoke up again, clutching his scripts, wondering why he even had to leave the flat when she turned up to be getting ready to look like _this_. “I wouldn’t want to keep you from your party.”

Nodding politely as she placed both hands on her purse, she smiled back, relieved that she was about to be excused from that really off-timed interaction in front of the stopped lift. “Thanks,” she said, giving him a curt smile. “And don’t wait up,” she added jokingly, giving him a mocking wink.

She turned around and made a face Tom can’t see, squinting her eyes and biting her lower lip, tasting that pasty lip gloss that she applied in such a hurry after finding out that the cab she requested might already have been waiting outside the complex for less than five minutes.

Her roommate on the other hand had to snap out of his dream state as he released the “Hold” button, his eyes never leaving her figure retreating towards the exit with her skirt bouncing against her leg as she pulled out her white scarf from her purse to cover her bare shoulders.

As the lift door closed in his face, Tom remained in his induced blank trance, as he found himself blankly hugging his scripts in the silence of the elevator.

 

 

***

 

 

Way Magazine wasn’t really known for their gossip columns.

Nor their scandalous exposés, sex tips articles, or the negative film critics.

They were known for their Celebrity connections, flamboyant photoshoots, up-to-date Hollywood News… and of course… coverage of glamorous parties.

For their 20th Anniversary, established fame, and 8 sectors all over the world – the biggest names and the highest head honchos have appeared at The Deck in the National Theatre to celebrate twenty years of glitz and glamour. Now with Regan Wayhart’s (the CEO and Founder) obsession with the 20s, Marshall Dunford who was her close friend and the current President of the company decided to give in to her whims to have it themed as such.

Turning the venue into something comparable to a flapper’s salon, they all ended up dressing up all the servers in tuxes and suits of that era, filling the air with jazz music. Even the stars who showed up were fashioned up to look either like Daisy Buchanan or Greta Garbo, lining up on the red carpet to the event that was themed with gold, black, silver… with photographers acting like paparazzi of that era, some of them even brandishing antiques that blew up smoke and flashed brighter than the rest.

Vega arrived with Carrie and Sasha at the same time Tatiana Maslany, Emma Watson, and Lily Cole were posing on the red carpet, showing off those grandiose pearls. After letting the two girls gawk at the newcomers who were eventually flanked with the likes of Sam Claifin, Henry Cavill, and even Eddie Redmayne; their supervisor in that stunning blue laced sequined dress had to haul her writer and her promotions go-to girl through the VIP backdoor entrance where they had to go through various familiar-looking faces from their offices who worked as ushers, usherettes, and security.

And past all the registration and the stylish 20s-themed coat room, the three found themselves staring into a glittery ballroom filled with balloons, glittery drapes, women in the flimsiest costumes and men in their finest suits.

The first person who approached them was Topher, who was already there taking photographs, despite wearing this fabulous striped suit and this brown newspaper boy’s cap that hid away most of his unruly red hair that seemed to be combed back underneath it. Giggling like a school girl in her dress that somewhat reminded Vega of Marilyn Monroe with the way it billowed whenever air passed through their knees on the way inside the venue, Carrie took Topher’s hand as the two had a drink.

Sasha eventually disappeared in a crowd of men, some of them containing small-time thespians who were still finding their place in the star-studded world, as she flirted with most of them, young and old alike. Finding herself sort of all alone in that filled ballroom, Vega found herself making her way towards the bar, having to smile and say thank you to at least three people whom she knew and complimented her blue dress, including a tipsy-looking August.

“You’re one fine looking dame,” he said, those watery puppy-dog eyes staring down an uncomfortable-looking Vega as he held a glass of whiskey, making her supervisor wonder why he’s already drunk as the party was already starting.

“Thanks –“

That’s when the speakers began to blast out the intro to Fergie’s, Q-Tip’s and Goonrock’s “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody”, gathering a large dance crowd onto the sparkling dancefloor. Carrie appeared out of nowhere with a glass of champagne, pulling in Vega who was relieved to be taken away from a drunk colleague.

“So I’ve been told,” Vega called out to her Senior Writer, sort of waving the hand where her Black Opal Ring was perched, as the tipsy August just nodded blankly, getting the idea and sort of shooed her away, reverting his expression back to something akin to the scowl he’s wearing every day.

With Sasha joining them on the dancefloor, the host calls out the President and the CEO to jumpstart the celebration, over the slightly lowered overture of the Great Gatsby Soundtrack. Once the party was declared “Open” with the song being restarted with a higher tempo and a louder crescendo, causing the crowd to become wilder as they cheered altogether.

Now Sasha would often be playing “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” out loud on her phone during lunchtime, or whenever she thinks their team is being too quiet or too busy during long night editing or researching… An attempt to cheer everyone out of their stressed-out moods and to keep Vega from exploding due to August’s endless whining. Carrie, who was slowly warming up to the team, would often end up singing to it out loud while Topher raps out Q-Tip’s part… till almost the entire office is singing and dancing, with August opting to move into the pantry to do his revising with Vega silently laughing in the background as she watched Sasha sashay about the room as Carrie and Topher would be doing the twist.

It was only in this particular party that Vega and her friends got to dance to music like how they were supposed to do it.

 

_Islands, diamonds, trips around the world_

_Don’t mean a thing if I ain’t your girl_

_A little party never killed nobody_

_So we gon’ dance until we drop_

_A little party never killed nobody_

_Right here, right now’s all we got_

 

Aside from the shrimp cocktails, the finger foods, the caviar, and the expensive wines; Vega found herself suddenly addicted to a cocktail called the Bee’s Knees, a drink that had a huge amount of honey mixed with gin, and probably a hint of lemon juice as she would say. She'd been ordering it along with Carrie who became fond of it too, having numerous heaps of it as the night went by. In fact, with how tipsy she was after that night, she wouldn't remember how the other drinks were called, considering they've been serving Jazz-Era named drinks the entire time.

She was about to grab her nth glass of that “melted-gold nectar” as she told the blonde beside her still spinning around with another man on the dancefloor (as a slightly drunk Topher decided to take pictures of other female actresses in the vicinity, trying to hide his jealousy), when another hand took the glass before she could wing it away from the bartender, almost causing Vega to raise her voice when she got to the bar.

“Got you buzzing like a bee, don’t you Little Miss?” The familiar low baritone snapped Vega out of what seemed to be her fury even before she could burst on the tall gentlemen.

“Whoa!” The girl sporting the white (and already slightly tilted) feather gasped as she stared up at him. “It’s you!”

Benedict Cumberbatch smiled down on her with that toothy grin that the girls on the internet kept buzzing about, holding her “glass o’ gold”, coming in contrast with his wonderful dark blue three-piece suit, complete with that 20s look that is comprised of his striped tie, yellow handkerchief on his left breast pocket, and that dark blue fedora that accented his whole visage.

“I think this belongs to you,” he teasingly offered the drink that Vega was reaching for, before turning to the bartender (who was more star-starstruck than the girl in blue) to say, “I’ll have what she’s having.”

Taking a quick gulp before putting her glass down, a high-strung Vega grinned brightly back at the actor who was ten years her senior and exclaimed, “Boy am I glad to see you! Where’s that beautiful woman you’re always with –“

Ben made a face that he often does when he’s asked if he has a girlfriend. “Oh don’t be silly,” he waved the woman off. “I have no idea who you’re talking about –“

“No really!” Vega said, smiling brightly, obviously having one too many Bee’s Knees. “Where’s Lou –“

Almost spitting out his drink after taking a sip, Ben almost had to wipe his mouth on the sleeve of his expensive suit. “Aieeee—“ He suddenly pulled her hand and took the girl towards the balcony, her skirt ballooning with how fast they moved past the crowded party.

 

 

***

 

“So, are those your friends?”

Vega probably blinked twice in the cold night air as she peered into the dancefloor, suddenly seeing a really tipsy Sasha dancing with two other guys who seem to be Seniors in the Marketing department; with the smaller blonde chatting gaily with another girl her age from the New York Branch.

“I think so,” she exclaimed as she stood beside the 6-foot figure beside her, who was looking around seemingly waiting for something.

“I meant the pretty brunette of probably Southern descent and the cute blonde girl who seemed to have just stepped out of college.”

Aching for another drop of dissolved honey in alcohol, Vega nodded, wondering when a waiter would come by with probably a few servings of her newly discovered favorite drink; making her wish she lived in the 20s.

“Oh yeah,” she exclaimed, holding onto her feather that was being blown off by the wind.

“And isn’t that your go-to Graphics boy?” Ben said, pointing out a sulky boy in a newspaper cap, sitting on one side of the bar. “What’s his name again?” He squinted and looked up, making a silly face. “I reckon its Christopher.”

Vega had to stifle a chuckle. “Yes!”

Ben smiled to himself as a waiter passed by with drinks from the bar, as he took two from the tray. Vega had to stand on tiptoes even if she was on heels to see what he got, and she made a face when she realized that they weren’t Bee’s Knees.

“Good, seems like you got all my questions answered,” Ben exclaimed as he handed another to her. “Then maybe you’re not drunk as I thought. Try this.”

Vega received a tall glass with a light green substance in it, with a small green leaf floating about it. Making an inquisitive face, she asks, “What’s this?”

“A light Mint Julep,” The Sherlock actor answers as he takes a sip off his. “With the dozen Bee’s Knees you had, maybe this can water you down a bit.”

Wrinkling her nose, missing the tang of the honey from the previous drinks she had, Vega took a sip as well and found it very refreshing. The smile on her lips made Ben mimic her expression as well, bending down his head to hide it as he stood silent for a minute or so with the girl on the deck, their backs to the twinkling lights of the city.

“So, you’ve been asking all the questions,” Vega suddenly spoke up, licking her lips a bit upon noticing the lipstick marks on her glass. “Now it’s my turn. Where’s Louise?”

“Ah bollocks!” Ben almost spewed out his drink, spewing out expletives as well while he stood against the ledge. “I thought I could get you off that topic!”

Vega giggled. “Please Mr. Cumberbatch,” she said in a professional manner as she held her feather down against the sudden gust of wind. “You have been spotted with her on several occasions – including the gallery exhibit opening where we first met… And a legal source tells me that she did receive an invitation for this event.” She ended with a small smile that was blatantly ignored by the man who softly laughed in a low tone, not to be heard by the small amount of people hanging around the deck.

“Must you do this, Miss Guererro?” he said, squinting a bit. “You do really live up to your name as part of Way Magazine. I keep forgetting that I am at a Way Magazine party –”

“I’m not really up for the exposé,” Vega answered back with a sincere tone. “I don’t even believe what the tabloids say about the two of you. But – I am curious why a friend didn’t show up.”

Sighing, Ben finally spoke up.

“She’s up for a night shoot for a project that she’s currently working on,” Ben exclaimed after having another sip of his drink. “She wanted to come though, after finding out that it was 20s themed… saying she never really attended a big-scale party like this before.”

“So is she shooting for Sherlock –“

“Then what is the star of Sherlock doing right here? And we’re on hiatus, missy,” he asked sarcastically, causing the little girl to cover her mouth and giggle. “You need to pay attention more, Miss Vega.”

The girl looked up at the charming man still wearing his fedora with that expensive suit, highlighting his entire presence with a smile that reminded her of someone else. Blushing a bit with the memory, she shrugged it off and took a sip of her drink.

“My turn,” Ben exclaimed, turning around to face her. “Where’s your favorite friend?”

Snapping out of her thoughts of wondering why Ben chose a Mint Julep when it seems to have the same alcoholic kick as any other cocktail found in that party, despite its “Light” designation. She raised her head and pouted her lips upon realizing who the man was talking about.

“I-I don’t have a favorite friend –“

Benedict shook his head, albeit smiling. Clucking his tongue in response to Vega’s nervous smile, he said, “Oh he wouldn’t be so happy hearing that from you…”

Vega rolled her eyes as she set her drink down on a nearby tall table that was set around the deck for the event. “Oh please,” she said defensively, rolling her eyes. She just couldn’t consider that one person in her mind as her “favorite friend” after all the shit he put her through during the past few weeks. Giving him the silent treatment (combined with a civil response just to keep the peace and appease the DarkJade, Lord of the Flat) for the past few days wasn’t just to put him in his place, but it gave Vega the satisfaction of being “slightly mean in the most righteous manner” after everything that happened.

“We never called each other anything of sorts,” she answered quietly as she stood there, playing with her engagement ring.

Ben smiled once more, looking around to politely acknowledge Sam Taylor-Wood and Joanna Hogg who was standing a few tables away from them, as they chatted with fellow director Gurinder Chadha.

“He thinks highly of you,” Ben whispered softly, just enough for Vega to hear. The girl raised her head after staring lethargically at her glass, all her energy slowly being drained out of her after dancing through ten jazz songs straight through the night. “Whenever I would whine about those brainless interviewers who keep asking the same questions during a junket interview, or when I get upset about paparazzi who keep hounding our every step… He often defends those ‘slimy gossip media pillocks’ by saying that ‘all of them aren’t that slimy’, and then he recounts the experiences of a ‘friend’ who happened to be successful from the bottom up, hailing from a ‘prestigious magazine company’…”

Vega was in the middle of wondering what ‘pillock’ means, when she heard his anecdote and ended up raising an eyebrow.

“Only sometime a few months ago when I realized that he was talking about _you_ ,” he whispered, taking another sip of his drink. “That girl whom he kept saying that he knew all his life… and only met since.”

The woman didn’t hold on to her headstring with the feather this time when the wind blew hard, but to her luck it still stayed on her head even if it did play with her curls a bit. She stood there beside one of her so-called bestfriend’s closest buddies – and a well-known one at that; as she realized that despite everything that happened during the past year, he still regards her as someone whom he considers as one of the people who made a difference in his life…

“About your fondness about drinking, I’m not sure if he knows,” Ben jokes about as Vega makes a face, looking questioningly at the three-fourths empty Mint Julep glass she’s drinking from. “Should I tell him?”

Vega just laughs. “I don’t know if he cares,” she says jokingly, to which Ben purses his lips and shakes his head, a bit surprised with what she just told him.

“Ooooh, that’s got to burn,” he teased, gently mimicking the way she leaned over the rail and pursed her lips as she tried to take a sip of her drink. “Having a little bit of a domestic with Tom lately?”

The woman suddenly snorted and had half of the Mint Julep up her nose, sort of losing her poise in front of Benedict Cumberbatch as she had to raise her hand and cover her mouth as she ignored the way he was beside himself laughing.

“Why would you think – Hell no!” Vega exclaimed laughing as she covered her mouth in an attempt to be demure, as Ben snorted dorkily, before bursting out laughing as well.

“You two are indeed friends!” She exclaimed, stopping herself from punching the man on the shoulder… realizing that it’s what she usually does to their other _dear_ friend when he drops a suggestive joke that often hits more than her nerve.

Catching himself laughing out louder than usual, Ben quiets down and smiles to himself. He turns to see what his companion’s expression was, only to find her smiling to herself again… after setting down her glass on the table.

“How long have you known each other?”

The younger woman inquired, squinting in thought, allowing passersby to notice the blue shadow on her eyes, making the blue of her dress glow even more. Benedict looked at the woman and gently grinned, suddenly understanding why his friend wouldn’t stop talking about her… and why he was so enamored with this girl who at first seemed just like any other girl, but suddenly glows in incandescence once you get to know the inner workings of her mind.

Ben wrinkled his nose and made an expression of tilting his head from left to right, somewhat deep in thought. “Long enough to consider him as a very good mate,” he exclaimed, as if trying to remember a distant memory. “But probably not as long as what you have with him.”

The woman with the white feather on her head stood there silent, blinking twice or thrice, thinking about what he just said. Suddenly, the number of years she spent chatting and conversing with Thain, was mixed and topped off with the year and a half when she got to know who Thain really was in person… And she never knew she kept a friend for that long, next to her Elementary Best Friend whom she still exchanged pokes and memes on Facebook to this day.

Vega smiled to herself and admitted that maybe she just can’t run away from the fact that maybe Tom did make a huge difference in her life she cannot erase.

*******

 

 

The rest of the night was a blur for Vega.

She does remember Ben winking at her when he introduced one of the Way Awards that night, that eventually went to Maria Johnsson, but not before he subtly winked at her in the crowd. Topher did eventually got Carrie’s attention back – by introducing Benedict Cumberbatch with her. By the end of the night, Carrie was once again a babbling fangirl, but this time her arm is hooked around her co-worker’s.

They decided to take a nightcap or a small team Afterparty (after subtly sending a really wankered August home, thanks to his friends from Publication who told Vega and Sasha that they’ll get him home), the quartet from “that new Celebrity column” made their way to the Archduke for more drinks.

By the time Carrie was threatening to throw up over her stunning white dress, Sasha and Vega had gotten off their seats and left their Margaritas alone as they did a quick trip to the bathroom, while Topher hurriedly called up a cab. With Carrie orally unloading almost all the Bee’s Knees she had that night, and a few finger foods as well, they all decided to call it a night.

Vega was the first to be dropped up at the Fulham Grid. Sasha hints she’s meeting up someone, and Topher won’t leave until Sasha is home, sort of making the smaller woman’s eyebrow rise as she stepped out of the cab in that blue dress, bidding her friends farewell.

They were in the middle of screaming at each other on how awesome the entire experience was, and how it was a “Top Night!” as Vega would scream on top of her lungs (despite almost forgetting her white shawl at the coat room)… when suddenly there was a loud crack of thunder, and unexpected rain fell on the woman’s head.

They had to cut their rowdy festivities at the middle of the street (much to the chagrin of the cabbie) as Vega had to hold up her shawl thanks to her lack of an umbrella, having forgotten to check the forecast for that night. Quickly waving the cabbie away, she sprinted for the apartment entrance. By the time she had hit the 5th floor button with the lift door closed, she laughed out loud, clearly still a bit too tipsy despite having attempted to water the alcohol down.

Stumbling out of the lift, hiccupping a bit, the woman looked at her watch and realized that it was already past 2am. She absent-mindedly silenced another hiccup, giggled a bit, and fumbled through her purse for the key to their flat. Identifying it with the pink carabine, Vega made a face while muttering “Ew” before slipping it into the keyhole.

The door opened with a soft click, as she stuck her head in and looked around – realizing that maybe her two roomies may be asleep.

Suddenly remembering that Max may have opted to stay with her sister that night, Vega winced having realized that only the prodigal son of the flat may be at home. Half-crossing her fingers that maybe Tom would be out fucking another girl at another part of the city, she slipped through the door while listening intently for any sign of movement in the flat… only hearing the hum of the refrigerator and the silence in the dark living room.

 _Sigh_.

The girl let out a gust of relief as she closed the door behind her, ignoring the wet puddle she made on the floor. Too dizzy to realize how her blue dress was drenched with rainwater, she almost slipped on the water that gathered around her heels; causing her to remove them as she hopped on one feet, trying to remove the saggy feather on her head.

 _I better get rid of all this drippings_ , she thought to herself as she tried to fumble in the dark for the lampshade near the sofa. _Max is going to kill me in case she ever comes home. But I’m too drunk to even clean up at this hour…_

She finally reached the clicker of the lamp, turning it on, as she threw her shawl on couch –

 

“Ehem.”

 

The woman froze in her place, wide-eyed. Forgetting to check the couch behind her if it was even occupied, she turned around mechanically and slowly… only to find someone in a full-dark-brown suit, a vest of the same color, with a beige dress shirt keeping an undone brown bowtie around the collar, sitting wide-legged on the couch with a disapproving face.

“You’re way past your curfew, Cinderella.”

Vega’s mouth formed a perfect-O in complete retort as she horrifically pointed a finger at Thomas who was wearing a very stern face, looking disappointedly at the puddle on her feet. Clucking his tongue, he started, “The Dark Lady of the Flat will not be pleased with the mess you are making –“

Vega frowned, crossing her arms at him, dangling her strappy silver heels on one hand. “But it rained –“

She was about to deliver a full retort when she _sneezed_ , causing the man to heave his chest up and blink in surprise… watching the woman in the blue dress he bought her a year ago, cover her face like a little girl, sniffling a bit as she sneezed again.

“Tut tut,” Tom exclaimed, raising an eyebrow as he removed the dripping wet shawl that she literally threw on his lap. “And you keep on telling me that you’re not going to get –“ He was suddenly interrupted by a series of sneezes from the girl. “-sick.”

Sniffling once more as she removed her hand from her face, walking around with a trail of water behind her, Vega exclaimed, “Yeah, I’m sorry – _dad_.”

As she looked around for a tissue to sneeze into, she completely didn’t see how the man rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry if I’m just looking out for a friend’s welfare –“ he said, picking up a towel from his side on the couch.

“So, what are you saying?” the girl was running a hand through her drenched bangs and sloppy hair that was fashioned into a wonderful perm only a few hours ago. “We’re friends again?” She let out a sarcastic laugh. “That’s cute.”

As she looked around, letting her strappy heels drip on the kitchen sink… she didn’t notice the way Tom stood up and glared at her.

“You didn’t have to sound so rude,” he tried to tell her off, a bit of pain in his voice as he found himself holding the white towel in his hands. “Rude doesn’t really suit you… especially when you look so stunning in that dress.”

The woman paused with whatever she was doing in front of the sink as her shoulders sank in reply. Closing her eyes, she took a deep sigh, half-wishing she just wore her mother’s white laced dress if she knew that Tom would see her in this fabled infamous cocktail piece _twice_ in a row in _one night_. She opened her eyes only to find him still standing there, seemingly offering the towel in his hands.

Yanking her dripping shoes away from the sink and tossing them on the shoe mat, she took another deep breath and sighed, “Don’t do this, Thain.”

“Well,” she suddenly found Tom smiling to himself as he tore his eyes from the way she glared back at him. “At least you’re calling me _Thain_ again…”

She closed her eyes as she gritted her teeth, realizing her slip.

“Anyway,” he interrupted before she could even speak again as he stepped forward and handed her the towel as politely as he could, with both hands. “You better dry yourself up, you’ll catch a cold.”

The woman ended up sneezing on the towel.

“Well,” Tom exclaimed making a face as he suddenly moved away from her, suddenly busying himself around the kitchen, taking a kettle here and pulling a tea packet over there. “It seems like you already caught a cold. Take a seat, Vega.”

Her makeup a bit smeared by the rain and the way she wiped her face on the towel, Vega’s face emerged from the fabric as she saw the man pulling out liquefied Paracetamol from his hidden stash on the pantry and pouring it in the tea he was making.

“What are you doing?” Vega said, squinting through her lenses.

“Making sure that your cold doesn’t last for a day since you’re so stubborn,” Tom exclaimed snappily, his back to the woman. “Now don’t be so hard-headed and take a seat, darling.”

Glaring at his back profusely, wishing he could see the way she sneered, Vega pulled out a stool and sat on it as she ran the towel through her hair, ignoring the way it smoothed her short curls considering that her perm had disappeared after being drenched by that rainfall. “Yes _dad_ ,” she growled again, settling herself down.

“One more time you call me _dad_ , I’m telling Max.”

“Isn’t that cute.”

“Will you stop being so bitchy, love?” Tom exclaimed, ignoring the way the last word slipped out of his mouth with much contempt as he pushed a cup of his mixture towards the girl who glowered at him. “You’re making it harder for me than what it already is.”

“I’m sorry.” Even Vega surprised herself when she automatically apologized, seeing the way he tried to calm himself down as he sat across of her.

They sat silent in front of each other, as the woman in blue finally took a sip of the concoction her roommie made for her. She didn’t notice how Tom even made a cup for himself, drinking the medicine-laced tea as he hid a small sniffle.

“Well, it seems like I’m not the only one sick in this flat,” Vega exclaimed, pushing away her tea.

The man sarcastically snorted and said, “Well, at least I am not as hard-headed as my _little sister_ , who should have rested tonight considering that it was going to be a rainy evening –“

The woman shook her head as she placed her feathered head-string on the table and removed her pearls in front of the man who was subtly eyeing her every movement, cherishing her small gestures and the way she removed her jewelry in front of him. “Come on!” she exclaimed, bringing her hands up. “Who wouldn’t say no to a 20’s themed party?!”

Tom just smirks and comments, “You’re so stubborn.”

The woman lifts her nose up, unconsciously flaunting her bare neck to the man who took her presence in like a breath of fresh air. “Thank you,” she shot back sarcastically, causing the two of them to burst out laughing.

With the dim lights in the living room, and the steam slightly making his eyes misty despite the cold weather, the way she sat in front of him twirling her tea cup around was a sight to behold. Not to mention that she looked exactly like how he remembered her after that chaotic dinner in that Greek Restaurant – Clad in blue, sick, slightly-drunk (but this time on real booze and not medication, excluding the Paracetamol he fused with her tea as a precaution), but absolutely breathtaking.

“As I told you before,” Tom whispered, tearing his eyes from her. “You look better in blue.”

The woman raised her head, remembering his words from Mari’s wedding. Everyone told her how pretty she looked and how it made her skin paler and rosier when she was in that red bridesmaid’s dress, but she never connected it with _this particular gown_ when Tom told her that she “looked better in blue”.

 _Mental note to self_ , Vega said in her head as she stopped playing with her teacup and moved to toying with her ring. _Take this dress out of my wardrobe._

But then she found herself looking at the man, who was trying his best not to look at her, as he played with the teabag that he dipped in and out of his drink, before settling to place it on the side of his plate. _But he’s right_ , those brown eyes darted away when Tom turned to take a glimpse of her again. _This dress makes me look so good…_ She thought as she remembered every man and woman in her company who greeted her, saying she looks gorgeous that night.

Changing the topic and breaking the awkward silence at a time when it’s almost three in the morning, Vega stretched her legs on the tall stool and decided to say something.

“Shouldn’t you be out tonight?”

Tom placed his cup down and furrowed his eyebrows at her. “What do you mean?” he inquired, looking puzzled.

“I don’t know,” Vega exclaimed, toweling parts of her dress dry. “Out with another woman, perhaps.”

There was a trace of displeasure in his face, as he made a sound that seemed like, “Hm,” turning the cup around in a 160-degree circle, like how she was playing with hers. He pursed his lips and said, “Honestly Vega, I don’t want to answer that.”

Rolling her eyes, Vega just shrugged at him and took another sip of her tea.

He bit his lip and leaned back on his chair, tapping his fingers on the kitchen counter. “I don’t ask you why your fiancé abandoned you in London,” he asks sulkily, letting his eyes wander all over the room, deliberately ignoring the way the girl’s eyes widened upon recognizing the way he has hit her nerve. “So I guess you don’t need to know why I’m not in a shagging mood lately.”

Jaw unhinged and realizing how he just burned her with his words, Tom pushed his tea away as a satisfied smile was seen on his lips when he stood up from his chair. Vega stood stock-still on her own seat, ashamed that he just managed to shoot her down, and wondering vengefully if she should tell on Max about what he just said as she started to open her mouth–

“I’d advise you to not say anything that you would regret in the future,” he spoke as he walked away, his back turned to her. “And make sure to dry yourself up, as you might ruin that beautiful dress of yours,” he added, before disappearing into his room.

She just sat there, with the towel still in her hair, definitely shocked and flabbergasted with everything that he just said.

She found herself reviewing that insult in her head that she was trying to formulate before he cut her off, something about him being a privileged wanker… but she just ended up shaking her head upon realizing how much that insult was going to backfire. As her mind slowly wandered in confusion about what he said about her fiancé… Her thoughts were suddenly shattered by a single sneeze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you listen to Fergie’s “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody”, it kind of says a lot about the “implied” relationship between our two star-crossed friends. I’m not saying that this story is going to turn into The Great Gatsby (and godforbid it does), but somehow the song kind of makes sense. 
> 
> This is one of the longest chapters I have written for this fic. I was tempted to split it into two, but the last part (where Tom catches Vega at 3am) is too short to be a stand-alone. Oh, and this chapter features the return of that infamous blue dress. It does mean a lot that Vega did keep it… Is there an underlying meaning to that? Perhaps.


	25. Aquaphobia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three roommates are invited to a posh, closed-door party hosted in a mansion in Essex by Fred. Vega arrives late with a grand headache and decides to retreat to a hidden outdoor pool area to chill. Unfortunately, someone doesn't want her to be all alone.

The morning after, Fred walked in on Tom who was early out hanging in the Steam Room, with his usual black coffee and sandwich combo. In fact, the Scot ended up sneaking on his friend, causing the now-blonde skyscraper to suddenly flip his phone over the table, tucking his long lanky feet in, as he took a quick bite of his sandwich.

“I heard from the girls that Cumberbatch was in the party…” Fred exclaimed, making a grab for the phone, only for the blonde to swipe it out of his grasp.

Tom frowned at him as he placed the phone on the other side of the table. “Yeah, Ben did tell me about it.”

“Then why didn’t you show up?” his friend asked.

The blonde picked up his coffee and found himself taping his fingers on the cup’s sides as he held it with both hands, watching his friend look over the menu, only to throw it aside, saying he already had breakfast. “Everyone in Hamilton Hodell was offered an appearance in the Way Anniversary Cocktail,” Tom recalled, running his hands through those short brownish-gold curls that was starting to become more honey-ish.

“Then what kept you?”

“Remember,” he said, making a face. “I had this dinner to attend… if only Annie hadn’t backed out.” Fred covered his face with a large hand and tried so hard to stifle his giggles. “Or slapped you in the face even before you can order your first course,” Tom added, hitting his friend on the arm, causing the brunette to burst out laughing. “She was already upset the night before…” Tom said with a bit of worry in his eyes, before blinking as he shifted to an indifferent expression

“It’s because you’re such a dolt, Tommy.”

The man who hasn’t been called _Tommy_ for years rolled his eyes. “Don’t call me that.”

The two men fell silent, one stern while the other one has holding a smile. With Tom glaring at him throughout their silence, Fred finally caved in and ordered a latte – not one of his usuals. The disdainful one finally sighed as he leaned back on his chair, turning his phone around in an attempt to minimize whatever he was looking at.

“I would have turned up at the Way party that night…” Tom mused out loud as he put the phone down. “I _should_ have come…” But that was when Fred’s hand appeared out of nowhere as he grabbed the phone from his best mate, causing to snort when he saw whatever his friend was trying to hide.

“L.O.L.,” Fred said sarcastically. “Then you probably would have walked back out when you saw that little shrimp doing the tango in that expensive blue dress she literally stuffed back in a box and –“

His friend successfully snatched back the phone that was displaying one picture that was sent through SMS by someone named “BC” – a picture of himself in that suave blue tux as he was flanked by a familiar looking blonde girl in white, with a girl with a feather on her head who was wearing a beautiful blue cocktail dress with sequins that seemed to dazzle. A note was added to the message – _Just letting you know what you’re missing, mate._

“Oh shut up, Frederick.” Tom silently hissed as he subtly sent his thespian friend a subtle _Regretting it already, thanks mate_ _– TH._

 

 

***

 

Vega’s colds were sort of getting better, but it weren’t going away at all.

She may even have brought the cold in the office, considering that it was raining that night after the Way 20th Anniversary, and all of them were tired, wankered, and over their heads to even consider their health at that time. No one bothered to bring umbrellas, and everyone was too drunk to even care. The next week of work was almost hell for all of them as headaches, sniffles, and even rising body temperatures were all about in the office. Even August who likes showing off his expensive wear and refusing to wear more than three layers was covered from head to toe, as he sat quiet and less whinier than usual, since his coughs often got in the way.

By the time the weekend was just a day around the corner, Vega was still riddled in sniffles one lazy Saturday afternoon in the flat.

“Hey sissie, Fred invited us over to this Closed-Door party of their company – WHOA, _”_ Max almost jumped when she was interrupted by these three very loud sneezes coming from the living room… only for Vega to emerge from the couch, her nose red, her hands and pockets covered with used tissues.

“Shorry,” her roommie apologized as she brought an empty cup of Lemon Zest tea with her, setting it on the kitchen counter. “Yuh wer shaying?”

Eyeing her worriedly, Max carefully turned her small smartphone around her fingers again, before saying, “As I said… Fred invited us over a VIP _Active Prospects_ party in a huge mansion in Essex. I hear that a lot of huge film names and celebrities will be there…”

Vega flopped her little ass on the small stool on the table, and cradled her head with her hand, before sniffling once. “Hm.”

“Want to come?”

“Hm.”

“Tom will be there…”

“Hm.”

 Max found herself frowning as she looked at the back of her friends head, wondering what’s wrong with her. But in truth, Vega was already dozing off with the paracetamol and anti-histamines liquid drug she mixed in her tea, and she was just muttering “Hm” to everything Max was saying…

“I hear that even Benedict Cumberbatch is invited –“

Her roommie didn’t notice it, but those eyes suddenly flew open as Vega found herself tilting her head upon hearing the other thespian’s name. Much to Max’s amusement, the little woman stretched out on her little seat and exclaimed lazily, “Alright, when is it –“

“Psh,” Max scowled, tucking away her phone. “Forget about going, Aeo. You’re not well enough –“

“Oh sod it!” Vega suddenly replied with an energy she didn’t have earlier. “I can be better by the time the party comes – when is it again?”

Max rolled her eyes as she forwarded the message to Vega. “Suit yourself,” she teased her friend. “But as your stand-in _mother_ , you can’t go until you’re better…”

The girl in question rolled her eyes and groaned. “Come on Max… I _am better!_ ”

Her best friend just wagged her finger in the air as she exited the room, muffling a bit of a snicker as she walked away. Looking dejected and annoyed as she looked over her chair and at her friend, Vega was akin to a child whose mother just barred them from attending a sleepover…

…until she had to make a face and _sneeze_.

 

 

***

 

 

It was an unusually cold night in August, where a sleepy little town in Essex was preparing to wind down after a busy day. But far off in the outskirts of town, media and socialites have gathered for a small party – barred away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi.

They say the house belonged to a former Lord or Duke, with its ornate Victorian structure, furnished with modern furniture from various well-known designers. Today it was in the possession of one of the associates of the host of the party – one of the Marketing Leads of the Active Prospects Agency. The true nature of why the party was set was not really clear – whether it was a small night for socialites to mingle and be free from media coverage, or maybe it’s just a front to seal a deal between a merger between two companies that Active Prospects were taking an interest in.

But nonetheless, you would say that it had more political and arts-&-culture related people in the party than the hash of celebrities that Fred seemingly promised his two female friends.

Vega actually arrived looking a bit flustered, realizing that she knew no one in the party.

…except for Max who was nowhere to be found, and Fred who was probably busy talking to some associates to even cater to this little girl who came from Melbourne. She even tried looking around for that other British Actor that was slowly becoming a good friend… but then she eventually found out that he wasn’t able to attend this particular party. Disappointing as it is, Vega felt lonely.

As for Tom, she could imagine the little shit looking like a little boy lost, but Vega knew that little shit can fend for himself. _In other words, I just don’t care,_ she thought randomly as she flatly took a champagne from a wandering waiter’s tray and avoided the huge crowds of people in their mid-forties discussing who won the London Open last year.

The poor girl wasn’t in a good shape either, and we aren’t talking about her existing colds.

You would consider that Vega was somewhat 30 minutes late to the party. Not to mention that she almost missed the train due to August’s incessant revolts concerning his edits and those edits he made when he was both sick and drunk when clearly he shouldn’t have taken that Cognac to work. It was almost six by the time she got a decent ride, and she was scowling and sniffling all the way, wishing she had the courage to punch the man in the face if only she wasn’t 1) sick and 2) was his supervisor.

It wasn’t the best night for Vega to mingle and talk with people she didn’t know either.

She was glad that she didn’t find Max, or else the woman might have deduced in a single glance that she was having a grand headache and sent her home straight away. Considering the people she has passed through, they all seemed posh and sophisticated – the kind that intimidates her and wishes she took up Graduate Courses in “being a decent and intelligent woman” so that she wouldn’t have to weave in and out of the passing waiters in search of a quiet place in the Essex-based Mansion where she can be alone.

After nodding and smiling and avoiding various personalities whom she may have bumped into, Vega found herself nearing an empty corridor… filled with large wide windows that looked onto tall dark hedges… with lights emerging from within it.

Overcome with curiosity as a bit of her headache faded away, Vega opened one of the glass doors and tiptoed towards the end of the tall grassy walls, following the beautiful display of blue and yellow lights… only to discover a widely stretched outdoor pool.

Smiling to herself with this discovery, the woman looked at the glass of champagne in her hand and walked slowly towards the diving board.

 _This is just perfect_ , she thought as she slowly took off those brand new stilettos and setting them to a safe dry place on the side of the pool, before standing on the diving board, carefully sitting on the edge so she can dangle her aching feet over the cool water. As much as her head ached earlier with so many problems to deal with in the office: the missing interview videos from the Way Anniversary Celebration, presenting the remodeled look of the Celebrity Showdown to the Way Committee, not to mention August and his usual tantrums… Vega found herself slowly calming down and relaxing in the midst of a high-class exclusive party, as she sat away hidden in an outdoor pool, inside a long and winding Mansion…

 _Oh he’d definitely love to see this_ , she thought fondly as she set her new black purse aside, throwing it across the board to land beside her shoes. _Oh only if he was here with me…_

The woman ended up sighing, as she took another sip of her champagne as she marveled at the tranquility and the view. She was tempted to dip her bare feet in the pool, but she knew she might end up getting those new black Zara slacks drenched, considering that she’s dressed to boot with a new outfit with such precious origins –

“So that’s where you were…”

Vega almost choked on her drink when she turned around and saw a tall figure invading her “secret” pool hideaway (that was “hers” for the span of ten minutes), dressed to the boot in a checkered dark green blazer, a fitted light blue dress shirt, that was topped off with a dark green tie. As those expensive shoes slowly made their way towards the pool, Vega found herself rolling her eyes and shaking her head as she placed down her glass beside her on the board.

“What are you doing here, Thomas,” she said flatly, ignoring the way he smiled at the mention of his whole name.

“I was invited here by Frederick,” he answered as-a-matter-of-factly, as he straightened his tie, trying to hide the fact that his heart was literally pounding in his chest after having to hurriedly scour the lobby and the living room, having to ask all the waiters if they’d seen a “little Asian girl in high heels” pass their way…

“Just like you were,” he added, tilting his head, hoping to get a gander of her expression as Vega literally stared at the lights in the pool. “But it looks as if you didn’t want to go to this party.”

The woman flicked her eyes in his direction as she straightened her posture, after having to hunch over the edge of the dock, dangling her feet over the water. It had been weeks ever since she actually got to speak to him, after that little incident in the flat after the Way Anniversary Party. She barely did saw Tom during the next few days, since she was busy herself… but whenever she would see this particular roommate, he seemed to be wearing a mischievous smile on his face as if he knew something she did not…

“Don’t say that,” she shot back at the man who was trying so hard to hide the fact that he was just happy to have found her and to actually hold a conversation with her. “Fred wouldn’t be pleased.”

“And Max too,” Tom added. “They were looking for you.”

Vega closed her eyes and groaned.

“I’m having a glorious headache,” she moaned. “I don’t think I’m fit for company right now…” She subtly implied, despite the man ignoring her as he continued to walk around the pool, before noticing that she’s tempted to dip her feet in the water.

Truth was, she was actually looking forward to spending the rest of the night alone on that diving board, probably sneaking out once in a while for another glass of champagne or something… as she thought about her life so far, while sitting peacefully under the stars. She turned her head to eye the man who was threatening to join her on the diving board, scowling at the fact that he didn’t even bother to bring a bottle of wine to entertain her… Vega scoffed to herself, realizing that maybe the man didn’t even have a decent plan when he appeared out of nowhere.

Vega only felt herself sneer when the crane placed a foot on the edge of the diving board.

“What are you doing?” she suddenly sat up, clutching the edge of the board, not wanting to fall and drench that expensive ensemble she was wearing.

Tom ignored her, a mischievous smile on his face as he started to gracefully walk on the diving board, closing in the distance between him and her small figure sitting and holding on the edge of it for her dear life.

“What the fuck are you up to –“

“Must I always be up to something?” Tom exclaimed in an exasperated manner as he plopped down beside her, causing the diving board to wobble, as Vega gripped the edge along with her glass, splashing a bit of champagne in the pool. “You always think I’m plotting nothing but mischief,” the man exclaimed as he fiddled with his shoes, untying them as he carefully placed them on the board beside him. “Can’t I just want to keep a friend company?”

The woman wrinkled her nose. “Your company always meant trouble,” she scoffed, hunching over again.

Bringing his hands together after taking a deep breath once his feet was bare, Tom gently held a melancholy grin on his face, as he looked up with those sad blue eyes to appraise the glowering woman beside him.

Sighing he whispered, “Oh Vega. _I_ always just meant trouble to you…”

He then blinked and then sincerely smiled at her frustration, causing her to look away when she felt that his grin was too uncomfortable for her to glare at. The moment she stared at the pool, the man ended up sighing to himself again, his smile fading away.

The woman pulled her light brown blazer around her shoulders nervously, as Tom noticed a small bow perched on her back. He found himself grinning again, watching the woman he still considered his best friend all this time, as she fought with herself… wanting to keep her slacks dry but also aching to feel the touch of cool water around her toes…

“Why don’t you take a dip in the pool?” Tom asked innocently.

Vega rolled her eyes, wondering why this man can’t say anything right. By the time she was done musing on how annoying Tom seems to be, she turned to look at him only to find the actor boyishly smiling as he sat beside her.

“Excuse me?”

Tom playfully dangled his feet over the pool like she was doing, wearing a daredevil mocking grin, considering that his suit may be even more expensive than what she has on her person. “I said,” he repeated. “Why don’t you take a little dip? You seem to want to.”

He looked up at her, blue eyes twinkling. “It seems safe. And I’m here. I’ll cover you.”

The woman shook her head and winced. “Are you kidding me?”

He laughed gaily, seemingly pleased with the developments, despite ignoring Vega’s body language that wished that he would leave her alone to her thoughts. “Of course I’m not kidding you!” He exclaimed, pulling back a bit from her, raising an eyebrow to match the playful smile on his face. “It just seems like a good idea!” He licked his lips. “And you seem to like it!”

Vega scowled. “You seriously don’t know me, don’t you?” she said softly. “I hate swimming.”

Tom scoffed back, disbelieving. “That’s what you said in Cornwall,” he said disappointedly.

The woman gasped, wondering why he had to bring back such painful yet _fond_ memories. She inched away from him, definitely affected by the mention of that place. But he couldn’t understand why he suddenly felt delight upon seeing her retract away from him.

“That’s what I always say!” Vega hissed, gulping down what’s left of her champagne.

The man smiled, remembering what happened the last time at Cornwall. In fact, the lights in the water, how it set the mood for their “little scene” at the outdoor pool, and the presence of this woman altogether just brought a small heartfelt grin on Tom’s lips.

“We really had fun at that trip, didn’t we,” he whispered nostalgically as he brought a foot up to settle on the board, as he balanced his chin on his knee.

Vega snorted. “Yeah, thanks to you –“

The girl suddenly blinked twice, looking at her empty glass, realizing that her retort came out wrong. She was really intending to say “ _no thanks to you_ ”, but it came out the other way around. Vega found herself blinking twice, remembering what _really_ happened in Cornwall… and she suddenly realized that what she said was right. _It was fun, thanks to Tom._ And the man in question was smiling fondly at her as he sat on the diving board right beside her, making her scowl once again.

“Why won’t we have that kind of fun anymore, Aeo?” Tom asked sadly.

Vega swore she was about to tear her eyeballs off because of overtly rolling it. “I wonder whose fault that was,” she murmured.

To her surprise, she felt goosebumps cover her arm when Tom playfully poked her all of a sudden.

“Oh be a sport, Aeo,” the nickname rolled off his tongue like honey, making Vega feel like throwing up all the champagne inside of her. “I wasn’t the one who poured pudding all over my head.” It didn’t help how Tom pushed his index finger against her shoulder again, causing the woman to grip the board for balance.

“What are you do –“ she gasped hearing his retort. “Well! I’m not the one doing indiscreet affairs all over the flat,” she hissed, finding the courage to push him back, her eyes burning with annoyance.

The man’s eyes widened as he wobbled on the spot, having been physically pushed by the little girl sitting right beside him. Amused with how she’s actually responding, he licked his lips as he bent his head so he can look her right in the eye.

“Am I hearing this right?” Tom said with a chuckle. “Is Aeo _jealous_ of my affairs?”

Vega thought she saw red as she looked back at the man, her jaw unhinged. “I do not –“ Before she could even continue her sentence, Tom poked her again.

“Stop it!” she growled, poking him back harder this time.

“Little Aeo’s getting physical, aren’t we?” Tom teased. “Finally fighting back against the big bad Asgardian fella?”

It didn’t help at all how Tom slowly poked her again… but this time he decided to aim for her waist… the one place where Vega is unusually ticklish.

The poor girl almost jumped off the board, but the she managed to grip the edges again, finding her balance as she venomously turned her head around to find the man hugging his knees, completely pleased with what he just did – having to annoy her, with a wide devil’s grin plastered on his face as _ehehehes_ filled the air.

“Thain, don’t you dare –“

“Oh! I’m Thain again, aren’t I?” _Poke._

Vega swatted his hand away when he tried to poke her again as she shook her head in his direction, ignoring the way he seemed to eye her from head to toe… admiring the way the ruffled sleeveless black satin top fell across her chest.

“Tom, I’m warning you –“

 _Poke_.

“Goddamnit –“

Tom pursed his lips and stuck his tongue out at a horrified Vega, who swore that if the man pushed too hard, she would be wading in the pool, her best new dress set soaked in chlorine.

“Oh squeamish little Vega,” Tom teased, landing another soft poke that she managed to swat away. “Won’t you land a punch to my face once more?”

“Don’t test me –“ _Poke_.

“Tom –“ _Poke._ “Ehehehehe!”

“Fuck th –“ _Poke_.

“GODDAMNIT HIDDLESTON!”

Tom was suddenly in a feat of laughter, when Vega had enough of his dangerous play as she gripped the board in her attempt to keep dry. For a moment she swore she chose the best and worst place, and it only became the latter because of the presence of her moronic friend. But somehow, with the way Tom tried to poke her curves again – Vega lost her cool and pushed him.

“ _Oof! Vega –_ “

For some damned reason, the man was sitting with his foot on the board, and the other dangling over the edge. By the time the little woman gave him a little shove… Tom completely lost his balance… and fell in the pool with a resounding splash.

“OH MY GOD,” Vega exclaimed her eyes widening as she looked over her shoulder, with a mist of bubbles forming where Tom’s body landed in the water. “SHIT I’M SO SORRY –“

The man suddenly resurfaced, splashing wildly.

Vega looked down helplessly as she saw the tall man who was known for his grace and his smooth and graceful movements… flailing helplessly in that expensive Dolce and Gabbana suit, his gelled hair ruined, as he gasped for air, trying to call out her name.

“Ve –“ _Gasp!_ “Help –“

“I can’t believe you can’t swim!” the woman quickly got on all fours, screeching at him, clearly in a state of panic as she knelt on the diving board, unaware of what to do. “Tom, you idiot!”

But the man was thrashing against the water so vividly, he couldn’t even hear what she said.

“Ve –“ _Gasp!_ “Please –“

Heart pounding in her chest, realizing that she really couldn’t swim either, Vega swore that her newly manicured nails dug through the plastic of the diving board as it wobbled dangerously when she leaned over the water, trying to extend her hand to grab her friend’s wildly flailing ones.

“Please –“

“Grab my hand!” Vega exclaimed, trying to get a grasp of his splashing up and down against the water. “I’m here! Take my hand!”

At one point, she managed to wrap her small fingers against his long clammy ones.

His splashing subsided, as his entire weight was being tugged at by the little girl who loosened her grip on the diving board, smiling as she held him in relief, “I got you!”

Vega was about to heave and pull her best friend’s weight back on the wobbly diving board… when suddenly gravity took a turn and _the man in the water suddenly pulled her into the pool._

“OH MY G—“

_SPLASH!_

 

 

***

 

 

It was probably about thirty minutes when Max decided to stop talking to one of the executives of a well-known English Bank, considering that Tom still hasn’t returned with their prodigal roommate in tow. After asking around the butlers, the ushers and the waiters; the woman who was in a dress for at least once in her life headed for the one place where her two friends were reported to be spotted – the outdoor pool.

“Alright guys, Fred’s been wondering where you two went off two – HOLY MOTHER OF CHEESE STEAKS WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!”

The scene she saw the moment she stepped past the hedges was something akin to a crack movie, the kind where three men go to a bachelor party, only to find that one of them is gay, one of them had one of their kidneys removed… _and the bride was thrown in the pool_.

“YOU LITTLE SHIT! YOU CRAZY LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT! I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD! I WILL HAVE YOUR FUCKING HEAD –“

The woman whose neat curls were now a damp mess was clinging to her life on one of the steel bars of the pool, as the dashing young man whom everyone was talking about in the party was drenched from head to toe as well… with one of his shoes floating in the water. Not to mention that he was beside himself laughing as he waded in the pool.

“VEGA WHAT HAPPENED –“

The woman who was shivering and helpless in the pool looked up to find her other best friend standing there in shock, as she quickly held out a hand to the girl clinging to the bar. “Max!” she exclaimed in relief as her roommate helped her out of the pool. “Thank God it’s you…”

Looking at the water with Tom slowly swimming his way to the other bar to lift himself out and back to the shivering girl who was holding on to her for dear life at the sat on the side of the wide pool, Max could only make a face that had full of unwanted inferences –

“I don’t want to even know –“ she gasped at Vega.

“THE LITTLE SHIT DRAGGED ME INTO THE POOL WITH HIM,” the woman finally hissed out the truth.

“Oh but she wanted a little dip!” Tom exclaimed, waving his arm, splashing water around as he climbed out, still looking gorgeous in that suit despite being utterly wet. “You can ask her for yourself! I just gave her a little aid, more like a little push – or should I say _pull_ – that’s all!”

When Max turned to look at Vega, the woman had a murderous look on her face.

“Ma’am? You called for m –“ a waiter appeared all of a sudden, one of those whom Fred asked to help Max look for their two other friends in the enormous mansion. But upon seeing the situation: Max holding a soaking wet and shivering girl, with a well-known actor standing by the pool drenched as well, the poor waiter could only gape at the situation.

“Can you get us some towels please,” Max exclaimed with distress as she sat Vega on one of the beach chairs. “Stat.”

The waiter didn’t say another word as he nodded and disappeared from the scene.

An awkward silence was hanging about the three roommates as Max sat there trying to comprehend how on earth did Vega and Tom end up in the pool, with the former screaming expletives at the other by the time she got there. Even the words Vega said couldn’t even register in her brain. Either it was the tequila, or her lack of sleep after watching too many horror movies… Max didn’t know.

A single sneeze from Vega shattered the silence – as well as Tom’s silent sniggering.

“Oh crimedy,” Max exclaimed, as Vega let out another sneeze. “You’re still sick!”

The girl gritted her teeth in an attempt to answer, only to end up sneezing again. “Well, no thanks to Mr. I-Love-Pushing-People-Into-Pools-Here –“

“Oh,” Tom cut in the middle of Vega’s retort. “But you did enjoy it!”

By this time the waiter has returned with two towels and Max had already flung one of them over the shuddering Vega’s shoulders. Still shaking her head, Max looked up disapprovingly at the man and threw one of the towels to him, indicating that he dry himself up.

“Look at the poor little baby, shivering after her little night swim –“

“LISTEN HERE YOU LITTLE D—“ Vega ended up sneezing in the middle of her anger-flushed retort.

“Bless you,” Tom quickly added, hiding a small giggle.

“I’M NOT YET DONE YOU LITTLE SHIT,” Vega quickly shot back after sniffling into her towel. “WHAT YOU DID WASN’T FUNNY AND THAT WAS AN ENTIRE DICK MO –“ _Sneeze!_

“Bless you,” Tom whispered, biting his lip, trying so hard not to snicker.

“—VE AND YOU DIDN’T EVEN CONSIDER THE FACT THAT I TRIED TO SAVE YOU AND THIS IS A MOTHERFUCKING EXPENSIVE NEW GETUP—“ _Sneeze!_

“Bless you,” the man murmured under his breath again, ignoring the way Max glared at him.

“—THIS MOTHERFUCKING BLAZER WAS BOUGHT BY GALE IN MELBOURNE AND NOW ITS COVERED IN CHLORINE –“ _Sneeze!_

Tom blinked and pursed his lips. “Bless you, darling.”

“—DON’T YOU MOTHERFUCKING BLESS ME, YOU CUNTWA—“

_Sneeze!_

_Sneeze!_

_Sneeze!_

It didn’t help with whatever Tom was thinking of at the moment. The gravity of his little impromptu prank didn’t sink in his head at all, and how it simply aggravated Vega’s then healing colds. All he could think about is how the girl looks so cuddly and adorable as she sat cradled in Max’s arms, shivering like a little kitten. And despite saying “Bless you” almost a million times, Tom couldn’t even stop thinking about how cute her sneezes are –

“ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME, CUNTWAD?!” Vega snarled at him, snapping him out of his thoughts as he involuntarily smiled at the girl who looked as if she wanted to drown him in the pool.

The man bit his lower lip once more, and ended up flicking his blue eyes upwards.

“You’re right,” he whispered, his face lightening up as if he discovered something valuable… despite everything around him burning down in a fire. “You did try to save me.”

“THAT’S RIGHT ASSH –“ Vega started, before sneezing once more. “I don’t like that smile.”

However, Tom couldn’t hear whatever he was saying as he swayed on his feet, ignoring the puddle he made on the concrete floor.

“My best friend would do _anything_ for me,” he said lovingly, moving towards her in slow steps… his bare feet making marks on the floor. Max ended up palming her face, as the woman in her arms looked as if she could burn an entire village with the fire in her eyes. “Oh Vega, I’m so flattered.”

“YOU LITTLE SHIT, I’D NEVER –“

But Tom couldn’t hear her. He was busy laughing to himself, glad they couldn’t see the way he blushed under the moonlight upon realizing what just happened. Ignoring the cold, and the icy stares from the two women sitting on the beach chair, Tom couldn’t stop giggling to himself as he paced happily with his back to the pool.

“Maybe you do really love me, sis,” he exclaimed, causing the hairs on the back of Vega’s neck to stand as his words sort of dawned on her. “You saved me! You care! You _do_ care!”

“OH FOR FUCK’S SAKE!” Vega gritted her teeth, as she stood on her own bare feet, threatening to actually hurt the 6-foot-2 man. It didn’t help at all that there was some sort of truth to his words, considering the panic on her face when she saw him _drowning_ in front of her…

“ ** _YOU LOVE ME!_** ” Tom exclaimed in a sing-song manner, his face completely lit up. “ ** _YOU REALLY DO LOVE ME! OH VEGA DARLING MAYBE YOU REALLY DO –_** “

In one fluid motion, the woman stepped towards him… and pushed him back in the pool.

Max ended up covering her mouth, gasping upon seeing the turn of events. Vega on the other hand, was standing there, emblazoned in complete anger, as she huffed and puffed with sneezes in between, glaring furiously at the man who got a grip of his senses, after resurfacing from the water.

“ ** _SAVE YOURSELF, FUCKTARD!_ ” **

Her hands formed into fists, Vega let out a frustrated grunt before she grabbed her dry stilettos and that abandoned purse, before she turned on her heels and stormed out of the place.

Max opened her mouth as the woman whizzed past her, as she shifted her gaze from Vega who just exited the area, and Tom who was busy laughing to himself after everything that happened, still neck-deep into the water.

“I ca—I c—Oh fuck it, I’m going after her,” Max exclaimed before running after her friend.

Tom was still in his fits of laughter as he splashed about in the pool, the little _theory_ he just uncovered still making him feel giddy… despite the woman drenching him and his towel wet once more. But by the time his laughter subsided, he realized that despite the fact that he had a smile on his face… he realized that he was all alone.

 _Not to mention that poor Aeo started sneezing again_ , he thought as his grin slowly disappeared, his happy feeling being replaced with guilt. _Smooth moves, Tom_.

Sighing to himself, Tom realized that maybe he should get out of the pool before he ruins that Dolce and Gabbana suit even further.

But as he swam towards the edge in an attempt to lift himself out of the water, he suddenly noticed a pair of beautiful porcelain legs wearing an equally dashing red cocktail backless dress with matching red heels to boot, making her way towards him.

“Need a hand?”

He looked up to find a beautiful woman bending to offer him her hand right over him, her radiance startling him for a bit. He looked at her face and found her so familiar, before a smile spread over his lips upon recognizing who she was.

It was Beatrice Cohen-Wright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the time you get to the pool scene, try listening to Carly Rae Jensen’s “This Kiss”. It really makes my day when the music hikes up, imagining Vega losing her shit and pushing Tom into the pool. These assholes are getting cuter every chapter. But an East Wind is coming.


	26. The Girl in the Hanbok

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vega discovers something tabloid-worthy during her service as a translator during a Korean-British Film Festival.

**_Areun areunhan neo eoui moksori_ **

_(Your sweet, sweet voice I barely hear)_

**_Deul li ni_ **

_(Can you hear it?)_

**_I need you I love you_ **

**_Nageut nageusi nan daedap hagetji_ **

_(I'll gently, gently answer)_

**_Deul li ni_ **

_(Can you hear it?)_

**_I need you I love you_ **

 

 

 

Vega had her earphones on full blast as she stood motionless and expressionless in the tube, when she suddenly realized that her pocket was vibrating. Unhooking her other earphone, she set down the black paper bag she was holding as she held her smartphone up to her ear.

“Hello,” she said groggily to the phone.

“Veggie-pie! I made breakfast!” You could hear the sizzling of a pan from the other end of the line as Vega raised an eyebrow realizing it was Max. “Where are you?”

“I’m already in the Tube,” Vega exclaimed, looking around.

“But I made breakfast –“

The woman sighed as she trapped her paper bag in between her legs, scraping up against those black leggings she wore with that thin blue and black checkered dress. “Haven’t I told you and Mr. Hollywood-Star a few weeks ago? I’m going to a Film Festival. Is the Scot there?”

“Who cares about him,” Max scoffed in the phone, causing Vega to smile. “These sausage-links are too much for one person, where are my roommates when you need them!”

Vega smiled. After that pool incident when she swore she was so angry that she could have grabbed Tom and drowned him in the water, the woman found the courage to forgive him when he gave her the number to the finest dry cleaners in town… helping her save her outfit, especially that precious brown cute blazer she got from Gale. Not to mention the fine pot of hot tea laced with medication that he left in the kitchen almost every day for her till she beat the flu. But honestly, that was the last time she actually talked to the man. Tom nowadays was nowhere to be found. And the smile on Vega’s face disappeared even further when she remember that little expletive-filled conversation she had with Tom before she lost her cool and pushed him into the pool.

“Well,” Vega started, looking at her watch, as she calculated that she would probably be five minutes early than expected when she arrives at her venue. “Why don’t you ask Mr. Norse-God-Crankypants to join you?”

“Hello, earth to Aeo,” Max spoke over the phone static. “Tom hasn’t been home for days. He’d been leaving post-its on the refrigerator. Remember?”

Vega found herself leaning on the pole, wondering if she did anger the God of Mischief this time. “Yeah…” Quickly sporting a smile, she told Max, “I guess more food for you then.”

“Righto.”

The crackling that indicated the frying on the other end of the line ceased, making Vega believe that maybe Max placed a lid over her pan. “Just let me know if you’re having dinner at the flat, sis,” the woman exclaimed.

“I guess I’ll bring home salad then,” Vega added, looking around the almost packed train car. “I’ll let you know if I’m not coming home.”

“Great idea then,” Max said.

“I’ll see you later,” Vega exclaimed. “Bye.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

**_Dagawajwo ma babe_ **

_(Come close, next to me, my babe)_

****

**_Geunu gana reur chajihae do_ **

_(If someone gets me)_

****

**_[I want you need you love you babe]_ **

****

**_Is it all right? Is it all right?_ **

****

**_Geureohji anhjanha modeunge cha i na_ **

_(But it’s not the way I imagined)_

****

**_Nae useum dwi e sumginnun muri_ **

_(Everything is different)_

****

**_Heullyeo naeryeo beorigi jeon e_ **

_(The tears hidden behind my smile)_

****

**_Na ui soneur jab ajwo_ **

_(Before it sheds)_

****

**_Geurigo naege malhaejwo --_ **

_(Hold my hand and tell me --)_

 

 

“Vega!” A familiar sounding voice echoed louder than her earphones as she neared the National Library.

Recognizing a girl who was already dressed in a colorful costume, running down the stairs to meet her, the woman took her earphones off and greeted the friend with a smile. She was somewhat smaller than her, but had a complexion lighter than hers, considering that the woman she met back in Canberra, Australia during her late College days was a pure Korean.

“Eun Soo!” she exclaimed happily as the two old friends gave each other a tight hug, before holding hands and spinning around the steps to the National Library. “How have you been?”

The girl with hair blacker and straighter hair than Vega wrinkled her nose and said, “Just so. I was wondering when I would see you again.”

Wrinkling her nose, Vega asked, “Still with Jeon?”

The girl with hair styled in a longer manner compared to her shook her head, making her bangs bounce on her forehead. “Broken up - two years running,” she answered. Rolling her eyes, Eun Soo tugged at Vega’s hand and took the black paper bag she left lying on the concrete surface. “Come on! Jae and Tae Won are waiting for you!”

Compared to Vega’s flawless American accent (although the girl could mimic a convincing Australian accent when she can, but she admits she isn’t that good with a British one), Park Eun Soo has a bit of the typical Asian slang, having been raised in South Korea all her life, migrating only to Canberra when she was twenty. By the time Vega met her, she was just learning to speak 7th Grade English, and she was still with her boyfriend Jeon Kwok. Since then, Vega went back to Melbourne to stay with her older brother so she can look for a job, while Eun Soo stayed behind in Canberra to finish her Graduate Studies.

Ever since they left University, they kept in touch by being part of the South-East Asian Media Organization, scattered all over the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. Like in this case, they were all recruited by the organization once more to provide translation services for the guests who were flying in and attending the prestigious Korean-British Film Festival that was held every two years in the National Museum.

Looking up as she entered the well-known landmark, the girl could only smile to herself remembering that she had the night of her life pretending she was a 20s flapper in the same venue, probably a few weeks ago. Or was it a month? It seemed as if it was already a long time ago since it happened…

“Wow, this is an authentic _Hanbok_!” Eun Soo exclaimed as she peered in Vega’s black paper bag once they reached one of the Convention Halls that were used as dressing rooms. “Where did you get it at such a short notice?”

The older girl shrugged and said, “I always had it with me I guess.”

“When did you go to Seoul?!” Eun Soo gasped, as if she was offended that her friend didn’t even tell her that she was visiting her hometown when she was there. “You should have told me, we could have met there! I go home every year!”

“I didn’t,” Vega spoke up as-a-matter-of-factly. “My sister-in-law bought this for me when she had a trip two years ago.”

“That’s very much fun!” Eun Soo exclaimed happily, bobbing up and down with her own Hanbok skirt swirling around her legs, considering that she wasn’t wearing the traditional slippers just yet. She then eyed Vega as she went around her, inspecting her hair. “I like your new haircut style though,” she noted. “But I’m quite sure Rae- _agassi_ would wish your hair to be longer…”

The other girl made a face as she nervously ran a hand through her fringes. “But I really can’t grow it in the span of thirty minutes –“

Jae Rin, another of the representatives whom Vega has met a year ago and was one of the designated aids for make-up and hair, suddenly emerged into the scene, as she looked at the taller Asian girl before clasping both of her hands together. “I know how to deal with you!” She gestured at Vega. “Hair extenders!”

Vega blinked twice. “What?!”

 

 

***

 

Thirty minutes later, Vega was completely fitted in the white, red and black Hanbok her sister Kara bought for her almost two years ago. She felt herself tugging at the traditional black and yellow fabric-belt, wondering if she gained some weight or lost some. But nonetheless, the design of the Hanbok made her feel bloated. But what was really peculiar was the way she felt the long hair swishing past her shoulder every time she turned her head. At one point she turned to look at the mirror and sighed, seeing her old self with long flowy black hair from a year ago.

“This is really peculiar,” Vega exclaimed, running a hand through the clips on the back of her head, holding the rest of the hair extensions into a meticulous braid that represented the hair of the maidens during the timeline from where her Hanbok belonged. “I kind of miss my short hair, I feel silly –“

“ _Muuimihan mal!_ (Nonsense!)” Eun Soo exclaimed, gushing as she looked at her friend dressed like one of her people. “You look great, Vega- _nuna_! _”_

The woman could only shrug and smile at her reflection in the mirror, telling herself that this will be a wonderful experience… considering that this was the first time she would be participating in the Korean-British Film Festival.

The thing about this event is that it is definitely a ground breaking opportunity for Korean artists. This merger event is supposed to strengthen Korea’s friendship with the UK, as well as allowing independent film makers from various parts of the ASEAN Country to collaborate with well-known and experienced filmmakers, producers, and executives from the Western Side. Once all the movies have been filmed and sent into post-production, the stars travel all the way to the host country (in this case it was London, two years ago it was in Busan) to watch and present their completed work, as well as to receive accolades and recognition.

Now Vega’s role in this event is to stand, look pretty, help guests around and speak if she’s spoken to. After all, being labelled as fluent in English and somewhat conversational in Hanggul, her task as a translator for the day was supposed to be easy for someone like her.

And not to mention, the celebrities.

Of course this isn’t the Hollywood-type of celebrities Vega keeps bumping into in Way. As much as she’s living with a bonafide posh English Actor under one roof, she would admit that she is sick and tired of those “pasty white, bread-eating, Europeans” as the more fluent Hanggul-translators would call them in the dressing room. Well clearly Vega would come in defense of Benedict Cumberbatch and her so-called best friend, but at this point in time, she’d only vouch for the former.

Korean stars are all around. Some of them were known in big international boybands, considering that Rin Woo just accompanied T.O.P. from Big Bang in the Convention Room labeled Theatre 2B. Other familiar faces in Korean Drama were there, such as the famed Lee Young Ae, Lee Dong-Gun, MC Mong, and so much more. The presence of well-known international western directors was found in the Main Hall as well, such as Tom Hooper, Jonathan Teplitzky, and Justin Chadwick.

As much as the Korean-blooded ushers and usherettes in their traditional clothing were getting starstruck with the developments, the girl who seemed Southeast Asian enough managed to keep her head above water despite being able to identify a face or two in the crowd and those whom she has aided around the National Library.

However, there was one case when poor Vega had to hold her breath… when a man almost her age approached her by the suggestion of the event coordinator.

He was tall and sported a short and modern hairstyle. It was also quite obvious that he was a model, considering the way he walked and the way he moved around in that posh looking white and black suit, along with that round neck shirt he wore underneath his clean white blazer. Vega swore she had to snap out of her awed stupor when the man approached her, smiled, and said “ _Anneong_ ” even before she could meet him with the basic greeting.

“Mr. Lee,” spoke one of the British Coordinators. “Miss Vega right here will accompany you to Theatre 3C.”

The girl dressed in the colorful traditional wear had to swallow before bowing and saying, “ _Anneong_ , Mr. Lee Min Ho. _Nae ileum-eun_ Vega _ibnida_ , I'll be your usherette for today. _Jeoleul ttaleusibsio._ ” After introducing herself and asking him to follow her, the actor known for his portrayal of Gu Jun Pyo in the famed drama _Boys Over Flowers_ followed the plussed-looking Vega who just realized that she came face-to-face with sort of an old celebrity crush.

Upon reaching Theatre 3C, the young woman conveniently opened the door for the two of them and led the man to his seat, to which he smiled as Vega bowed in front of him to end her service as an usherette.

“ _Gamsahabnida_ ,” Min Ho said politely, bowing appropriately as well, not as low as Vega did. “Thank you very much.”

The girl sucked in her breath, somewhat proud for not tattling and stuttering in her then-rusty Hanggul how much she loved the way he portrayed the famed Korean Version of _Domyouji Tsukasa_ in _Hana Yori Dango_. She just gave him a curt nod and walked away from the scene with her lip bitten, as she tasted a bit of iron mixed with her subtly applied light orange lip gloss.

Regrouping with the rest of the usherettes at the entrance, she watched the British Coordinator named Peter Goddard speak with a newly arrived crowd of British personalities, while the Korean Coordinator Rae Kwon, a woman who was probably just three to four years senior to Vega, waited patiently beside the other male and female costumed usherettes who crowded in front of her, trying to get a glimpse of the newcomers.

Once the big crowd approached the hallway where the usherettes are lined up, the translators quickly took their positions and bowed to the newcomers, each of them greeting them politely in Hanggul.

“ _Anneong_ ,” Vega said in a gentle voice, as she felt one of them approach her, making her believe that one of these foreigners (at least not in their country, but in this event) was assigned to her.

However, the moment she raised her head, she swore she turned paler than the makeup Jae Rin applied on her face.

“Oh it’s _you_ ,” the long-haired woman clad in the detailed Hanbok exclaimed in a straight and fluent American accent, exhibiting complete and utter retaliation at the man who had to bite his lip from laughing out loud as he quickly fumbled for his iPhone in his pocket, struggling to quickly get a picture of the flustered Korean-looking girl who bowed in front of him.

“This is just precious,” Tom, who was sporting a day-old stubble, despite looking grand in another of those suits Luke probably purchased for him, was trying so hard not to lose his wits laughing as he took stolen snapshots of the woman in front of him, as he watched her lose poise while resembling a timid-sounding Korean usherette.

The other usherettes looked at Tom Hiddleston with big wide eyes, clearly star-struck by the man who was known for portraying one of the most solid villains on the big screen. Rae Won on the other hand, dropped her jaw not because of Tom’s presence – but because of the fact that Vega lost her filter and shot a rude expression at the guest.

“I’m really sorry, sir,” Rae tried to interrupt the commotion, but Tom quickly placed a hand on a flabbergasted Vega’s shoulder and said, “No no, no need to be sorry. I like this usherette. Can I have her accompany me to Theatre 2D?”

Rae Won exchanged glances with Peter Goddard as they could only nod, while the usherette he was referring to quickly regained her cool and smiled like an automaton, gesturing for the tall British Thespian to come and follow her.

“ _Jeoleul ttala oseyo,_ ” Vega said in a sing-song voice, wearing a sheepish grin on her face as she bowed to Tom again.

“I’m sorry I don’t –“

“ ** _Follow me please._** ” Vega said through gritted teeth once they were clear from the prying eyes of the blushing female usherettes who marveled at Tom’s charm and height.

 

 

***

 

 

“Is it possible to grow your hair in a jiffy?”

“They’re hair-extensions, Thain.”

“I see,” Tom exclaimed, walking slowly despite the manner Vega glided on the carpeted floor on her traditional Korean slippers. “You should let your hair down like that. It suits you.”

She felt herself skid to a stop on her Hanbok shoes, taking a deep breath while wondering why she had been bumping into the last man she’d really want to interact with at the most peculiar places. But as she turned around to see Tom taking his time walking behind her, eyeing her like she was a beautiful model who got loose from the runway, Vega told the fire-breathing dragon within her to stop being rude and maybe try being politely reasonable with the man for once.

“Thank you,” she said plainly, sinking back into the demure stature she was assuming earlier, ever since she donned that Hanbok which Tom just couldn’t take his eyes off from.

“No really,” Tom exclaimed clearly, smiling. “You look pretty, Vega.”

Her hands placed together in front of her long skirt, the woman closed her eyes and opened her mouth, wondering why his words still had some effect on her. “Thank you,” she said, wondering why the hallway and the staircase to Theatre 2D was so long and winding. “I appreciate it.”

She didn’t really intend to smile, but with the way he was grinning at her, Vega decided to return the favor. And somewhat, the grin she made took away the contemptuous feeling within her, as she failed to notice how she suddenly walked less hurried than before, following Tom’s rhythm.

“So,” he tried to make small conversation with the girl whom he could see every day at home if he even paid attention. “Have you worn that traditional clothing to your school before or –“

“ _What?_ ”

Vega turned to him with her eyebrow raised, a bit of confusion forming on her face. Tom quickly widened his eyes and tried to remedy the situation as he played with the spare ticket he was holding. “I meant –” he started. “This is your national costume, am I correct? Have you ever worn it in sch –“

The woman closed her eyes. “Almost ten years of chatting and a month of marauding around London,” Vega exclaimed. “ _And you still don’t know my real nationality_.”

Tom dropped his jaw. “You’re not _Korean?!I”_

Hiding a small grin, realizing that there are a lot to her that Tom still doesn’t know, Vega clucked her tongue. “You’re gonna lose the Thain-and-Aeo-Bestfriends-Forever-Quiz, Thomas,” she teased. “As well as your Best Imaginary Brother Badge.”

“Oh come on, Aeo,” he groaned.

“Too late to cry over spilled milk,” Vega said mischievously, laughing this time.

All of a sudden, when she tried to outrun him, she felt his hand on her shoulder – cutting her in mid-giggle. She turned around to find Tom smiling down at her, somewhat pleased that their bantering days have returned – without the hostile comments or the degrading inferences. With the way she laughed and teased him, still hiding little tidbits of information from him, Tom believed that a little bit more and he could truly have his best friend back… And with the smile spreading on Vega’s face as she looked up at him, maybe even more.

But despite all those thoughts, Tom just couldn’t get over Vega’s Hanbok.

“At least do me this favor, darling,” he pleaded.

“As long as you stop using that term of endearment,” Vega shot back playfully, sticking her tongue out at him.

“I can’t make that promise,” the bearded man exclaimed, wagging a finger. “ _Darling_.”

Rolling her eyes, Vega stopped walking through the carpeted floor as she neared the staircase that would lead them to Theatre 2D. “Alright,” she said, placing her hands on her waist. “What is it, Tom?”

He placed his hands together and brought his two index fingers together, momentarily pointing at her, before releasing them and letting them fall to his thighs as he stifled a little _ehehehe_. The entire time, Vega stood clueless in front of the staircase, looking dumbfounded at how Tom lost himself.

Catching his breath, placing a hand on his chest, he calmed himself down. “Can you do a little spin for me?”

Vega blinked twice in the 60-second silence.

Shrugging as the man anticipated her answer, she ended up saying “I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”

Tom quickly fumbled for his phone as the girl turned her back on him, before she stood on her toes. Before he could say a word, she spun around on her feet, her long red skirt bellowing under her… with her long queue trailing from her neck, spinning in the direction to which her head went. And with every movement, Tom managed to capture it on camera, right to the very curtsy she did on the end, her skirt making a wide circle of red on the gray carpet flooring.

“Just exquisitely perfect,” Tom whispered under his breath, having recorded on video the last part of Vega’s ‘little performance’. He watched the entire thing with bated breath, his phone out, making him look ironically more of a fangirl with a camera phone who was waiting for a well-known celebrity to pass by, without the wild and crazy screaming –

“Are you done?” Vega snapped him out of his trance as she suddenly stood up, placing a hand on her waist. “They’re going to need me back at reception.”

“Just one more –“ _Flash!_

Vega rolled her eyes. “That’s gonna cost you, sir.”

Tom snorted, as he reviewed his precious pictures that he was contemplating of adding to a secret hidden folder in his iPad that everyone thought did not exist… “If this is going to be the thirty quid scenario again, I have a credit card, Miss Guererro.”

Sighing, Vega crossed her arms and frowned, just as Tom finally pocketed his phone and followed her up the staircase towards the big wooden double doors of Theatre 2D.

“Why are you here again?” Vega asked him bluntly as she opened the door even before Tom could even race her to it. “I don’t remember you taking a contract with the Korean-British Film Festival.” Vega raised her eyebrow. “Or at least I didn’t hear from my insiders…” she whispered to herself.

Sighing as he stood between the open door, taking out the spare ticket he’d been playing with earlier, he smiled back at the girl. “Actually, I’m just a guest. I’ve been invited –“ his eyes suddenly fell down on the ticket. “Speaking of invitations, could you do me another favor, darling?”

Eyeing him warily, Vega flatly said, “What is it?”

Turning the red ticket with brush strokes forming a logo on its upper half, he bit his lip as he handed the ticket to the unsuspecting usherette. “I actually intend to spend this festival with _someone_ , but she isn’t here yet…”

Raising an eyebrow as she took the ticket from those long slender fingers, Vega blinked twice before reading the shy and suggestive smile on Tom’s face.

“ _Oooooh!_ ” the woman in the long red skirt piped up, realizing the situation. Putting her hands together and her expression turning into something akin to mischief, Vega held the ticket with both hands and cooed, “A date! I wonder who it is…”

Tom leaned against the door and smiled, a twinkle appearing in his eye as he looked in the dimly lit convention hall that was slowly being filled up for a  screening of _Strangers Like You_ , a comedy-drama love story directed by Kwak Jae-Young of the _My Sassy Girl_ fame. Seeing Tom’s faraway look, the silence that was exchanged between the two became a bit uncomfortable for the usherette as she waited for him to answer, as he continued to smile to himself.

“You’ll know her when you see her,” Tom exclaimed, pocketing his hands.

Straightening his collar in the absence of a tie, he winked at his so-called best friend and said, “You better go. I think I’ve kept my loyal usherette for so long.”

Staring at him with a blank sarcastic expression, Vega rolled her eyes at him… before bowing down and exclaiming “ _Jeulgyo_ ”, politely asking the guest to enjoy himself. Clutching the red spare ticket, Vega hiked up her skirt as she went down the stairs, her mind filled with various questions and mutterings even if she kept quiet all the way back to the entrance.

Tom on the other hand watched until she completely disappeared from his view of the staircase, smiling silently to himself as he closed the Convention Hall door behind him.

 

 

***

 

 

“Mae-jin got to G-Dragon before I could! _Michin!_ Crazy!”

“You should have seen Han Chae-Young chatting with Jim Jarmusch!”

“Anyone knew where Ku Hye Sun slipped to?”

“ _Unni!_ Seol-ma is lost with Gemma Arterton! Someone help her quick!”

 

Vega have probably delivered a Independent film director whose name escapes her mind, along with his mother and girlfriend, to their respective theatres; and she found herself having a quick chat with Toby Haynes, a Doctor Who directing regular, about his work on Series 5. By the time she got back to her station, there was a woman in an eye-catching slender dark-blue dress, talking to Peter Goddard about her reservation.

“Who’s that?” Vega asked Jae Rin, wondering why the woman looked familiar.

“I didn’t catch her name, but she insists that she had an invite and she had another ticket holder to go ahead in her stead,” Jae Rin spoke, hands crossed, before flashing a smile and greeting a spectacled young man who was asking in Hanggul where the loo was.

Seeing how distressed Mr. Goddard seemed to be as he scanned the guest list, with the tall young woman trying to keep her cool as she stood in front of the registration, looking repeatedly at her phone and her watch; Vega decided to step forward and ask the guest about the little nagging question in her mind.

“ _Anneong_ ,” she greeted them politely, smiling at the Event Coordinator. “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation, but you said that someone went in ahead of you, Madame?”

Getting a closer look, she realized that the woman had almond-shaped eyes that sparkled brown, as she nodded in Vega’s direction, seemingly still hanging on Mr. Goddard’s every action. “Yes, you may have seen him, he’s an actor and he’s already in Theatre 2D –“

Blinking once, Vega tilted her head and said, “Might it be Tom Hiddleston?”

The woman’s face lit up and for some reason Vega felt like something fell in the pit of her stomach as she watched her smile. “Yes! I arrived here with him, but I had to take care of a personal business and asked him to go ahead. Would you happen to know where he is?”

Curtly nodding, Vega flashed the red ticket to which made Peter Goddard raise an eyebrow at the young woman in the Hanbok and nod, as he unhooked the chain that barred Tom’s date from going past the registration. “May I get your name again, Ma’am?” Vega asked politely.

“Bea Wright,” she said in a huff, relieved to be allowed in. “Bea Cohen-Wright.”

Smiling, Vega curtsied in front of her again, giving her the guest treatment presented to every participant, as she offered her the spare red ticket handed to her by Tom earlier. “I’ve been given instruction by Mr. Hiddleston to take you to Theatre 2D, please follow me.”

“Thank you so much,” Bea smiled as she hurried alongside the girl whose skirt billowed with every movement of her feet.

Hands together, Vega marched in a curt manner as they went past the hallway with the staircase at the end of it, as the well-dressed woman walked beside her in the same pace, giving the smaller girl enough of a view to see that Tom’s date was much more curvier than the rest of the women she saw him bring home to the flat… Not to mention that sophisticated aura that surrounded her, considering the expensive looking dress she was wearing that matched her purse to boot. Her long beautiful dark brown hair with auburn highlights were pulled tightly in a bun, while those almond eyes were accented with a brown and silver eye shadow, giving her a doe-eyed look.

As she went up the stairs and paused so Bea could catch up with her, Vega couldn’t help but whisper in her head how Bea Cohen-Wright looked _wonderful_. _A great choice for my bestfriend after all the shit he’s been putting himself through_ , she thought as the woman in question raised her head to look at Vega as they both headed up the stairs.

“That’s a wonderful looking dress,” she complimented Vega who smiled back politely. “It suits you very well.”

“ _Gamsahabnida_ ,” Vega answered back curtly as she stopped at the foot of the stairs and in front of the double doors of Theatre 2D. “Thank you very much.”

She hands Bea her ticket and bows again before opening the doors.

“Please enjoy the show,” Vega spoke with her closing spiel, holding the big wooden door before the woman could smile and slip in the dark, looking for her plus one.

Closing the door to make her way down the stairs, Vega realized that the line must be thinning and her role as an usherette-translator must be coming to an end. But as she walked back towards registration, she couldn’t stop thinking on why Bea looked familiar. She knew she has seen the woman before, she just couldn’t tell if it was in a tabloid, in another Way Event, or if she was part of one of Way’s Clients…

That’s when a lightbulb went off above Vega’s head when she was almost at the entrance.

“ _Mari’s wedding,_ ” she clucked her tongue, remembering that gorgeous woman who walked down with Tom down the aisle.

 

 

***

 

 

Once their job was done, most of the ushers and usherettes who volunteered for the event were offered to stay and watch a film of their choice that was being screened at that moment.

Still dressed in their Hanboks, proud of running around in those wonderful fabrics that ballooned whenever they ran to, Eun Soo and Vega decided to take tickets to the film _Hyeol-aeg Dal_ , literally translating as _Blood Moon_ , a supernatural horror-romance set in the Joseon Dynasty. A collaboration between Park Chan-wook and Jim Jarmusch, Vega knew she couldn’t let this one slip her by.

Thirty minutes into the film while things got a bit kinky and gory, Eun Soo and Vega had to run out of the theatre in an attempt to save themselves from squealing and embarrassing each other in the crowded theatre filled with prominent figures, making an excuse of looking for something to snack on while watching the movie.

Giggling to each other after having gotten past the security guard also dressed in Traditional Clothes, they were looking for the snack and popcorn stand when Vega found herself skidding to a stop when she saw a familiar looking couple descend from a back staircase leading towards the entrance.

“Isn’t that Tom Hiddleston?” Eun Soo whispered to her friend, who stood silent and still all of a sudden, her eyes plastered at the man who whispered to his date and held her hand tightly around the waist, as they exchanged giggles and what seemed to be sweet nothings. It didn’t help at all that the Main Hall was almost empty, causing the new couple to act as if they were the only two people in the world… exchanging sickeningly sweet smiles and glances as they lovingly held hands while walking through the carpeted floor.

“Ye,” Vega answered, raising an eyebrow once she realized that she suddenly turned her Australian accent on again. And the peculiar thing about it, Vega doesn’t usually switch to that accent unless she’s truly bothered… or distressed at the highest point. And that case rarely happens. “That’s him, alright…”

“Wow,” Eun Soo mused, as she played with her hair… watching the actor and his date link arms as they exited the National Library. “That’s a one lucky girl… having a top man like that all to herself…”

Vega nodded, but she didn’t understand why she didn’t want to buy that butter-flavored popcorn and take it back to the makeshift theatre in Hall 1C. It’s as if for a moment, all her appetite faded in a flash. All she could think about was the clear view she had of how Tom had linked his fingers with Bea’s… How he slipped his hands to touch those delicate curves that was accentuated by that slender dress… and how it made her lose her appetite for no good reason.

Shaking her head to snap out of that discomforting thought, Vega smiled and turned to her friend.

“Come on,” she nodded at Eun Soo swaying in her spot. “Let’s get that popcorn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song first featured in this chapter is “L.O.V.E.” by Brown Eyed Girls. A little trivia: This little KPOP song is one of the favorite songs I love to listen to when I want to have all the feels I need to jumpstart writing “A Blind Conversation” again… and coincidentally, this fic as well. 
> 
> (This odd, odd feeling I have for you / Can you hear it? / I need you, I love you / Take me, take me away / Can you hear it? / I need you, I love you…)
> 
> If you listen to it and read the English translation – its’ upbeat tune goes well with the hype and the excitement Vega has about going to London for the first time. As well as these new feelings she has for Tom… But slowly, once you listen to the song over and over again, you realize that this is her song.


	27. The Pretenders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Most of the girls are going back home to the US, so Max calls for another videoke night - a proper one. Since Mari wouldn't let it be a "Mercenaries-only-exclusive" event and wants to bring her husband, Max announces that it was a free for all, bring who you want. Vega clearly has no say about that, but she doesn't seem pleased about it.

It was mid October when Lila, Sam, and Lis returned from their unplanned Eurotrip; and it was time for them to go home to make it for the holidays. It was the first time they’d be leaving Mari behind in a foreign country, but considering the fact that she’s wearing a ring and she’s only an hour’s drive away from the London Quartet, it wasn’t really _goodbye_ per se.

So once everyone was in town, it was Max herself who had to put her foot down, asking if all the girls could have one night out before they all part ways. Of course when they say “Girls’ Night Out”, this meant that the two men who used to parade around the internet as women were included as well. However, Mari wouldn’t want to go if her husband wasn’t invited.

“Fine!” Max exclaimed over a Skype conference. “Girls’ Night Out AND Partners included!”

However, Vega didn’t find out about it until the day of the Videoke itself.

That was the one day she forgot to wear contacts. As much as she was getting used to it, even sometimes forgetting that it’s on, this was the one day when she had a pile of documents and emails to read, and she still managed to forget to wear them. Fumbling for her backup glasses in her bag, she almost had a panic attack when she thought she left them behind.

The day itself was stressful enough for Vega.

She was stuck in a board meeting discussing the budget and the plans of Way for their Christmas events, and during the entire time she had to deal with Carrie’s anxiety issues as she chatted with her over AIM, as she pretended to listen to Daryll Meyer when in fact she’s trying to hide too many windows on her laptop.

By the time she has arrived in the Videoke place called 113 Cella, almost all the girls had three rounds of drinks, and they have already convinced Pete to tell them about Mari’s odd habits while travelling. Not to mention that Lila was once again singing Abba songs once she got her hands on the microphone.

 

_Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight_

_Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away_

_Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight_

_Take me through the darkness to the break of the day_

 

Shaking her head at Lila who just winked back at her, Vega found herself taking a seat beside a chatty Max who probably had three glasses of Cherry Coke – “a warmer upper” she would say, before she would start hogging all the cocktails and margaritas.

“There better be a reason why you’re late,” Max said, poking Vega on the arm.

“It’s motherfucking 9pm,” the smaller woman hit back. “I’m sure that ain’t a sin –“

“Three hours late!” Lis exclaimed, grinning at Alexa and Alex who were once again present, sitting idly and quietly to the side. The two claimed that their parents returned to the US, but they’re staying behind for a few more months to look around the University offerings around London, since they’re thinking of studying here. “That better have a penalty, Aeoren Vanelon –“

Bringing out her iPad after forgetting to check the updates of Daryll’s minutes of the meeting and the details of the Seniors’ meeting right after, Vega just shrugged as she literally hid beside Max and her unusually rowdy personality that night, thanks to the slow build-up of alcohol. But the moment she opened Facebook, she had to speak above the jeerings and videoke mic challenges of the girls when she saw something posted –

“WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?” Vega sputtered, as she violently tapped Max on the shoulder, cutting short her little discussion about Fred’s stupid drinking indiscretions, as her friend turned to look at the post she uploaded on Facebook.

“Oh isn’t that adorable!” Lis cooed, pointing. “Vega’s in that Japanese-looking dress –“

“It’s a Hanbok, It’s Korean,” the woman who was far from the smiling spectacle that was found on Max’s Facebook Wall shot back, before turning to her female roommate. “Max?! How and where on earth did you get this?!”

“Vega sweetie,” Sam tried to calm her down. “No need to harp at Maxi about this picture – you look so beautiful after all! You shouldn’t hide these kinds of pictures from us –“

“No but really,” Vega fidgeted on her seat as she pointed at her iPad. “This was a recent event, and I barely even talked about it! No one even got pictures? How could Max get –“ The girl’s eyes suddenly turned into vicious slits remembering _someone_ taking too many pictures of her when she tried to usher them to one of the 2 nd Floor Halls…

“Max,” Vega was gravely serious this time, fixing the glasses on her nose. “I’m going to ask you again. _Where did you get this picture?!”_ She gestured to that image of her and Eun Soo bowing and smiling at the reception of the National Library, several days ago. “Oh God…”

Taking a huge swig of her drink, before pressing a button to order more, Max smiled sheepishly at Vega and said, “It’s just Fred, don’t worry.”

Scoffing as she went back to quickly scrolling through her Facebook app, knowing _where else_ could Fred probably get the picture. Vega thought about Tom was probably much of a coward to post it himself, he had to goad not _one_ but _two of his friends_ to gloat about getting that image of his most “reserved” Mercenary Sister wearing something out of the ordinary. But despite scoffing at Tom’s typical buggering, the woman did not forget the fact that her _other_ roommate was not alone at all at that said event where he stole a snapshot of her as an usherette…

“Vega’s unusually cranky nowadays,” Lis whispered to Max, while Sam joined Lila in singing _Mamma Mia_. “What have you been feeding her?”

Snorting as she tried not to laugh, Max looked at the bespectacled girl who was stretched out beside her on the black long room couches, engrossed in reading emails on her iPad, simply ignoring the world. “She hasn’t been even eating my cooking lately,” the girl who once had a pixie cut that has grown to a shoulder-length style answered. “Must be going through a choosy phase…”

Mari sighed as the three of them (excluding the twins who were watching Sam and Lila singing, and Pete who was busy looking at his phone) watched Vega adjusting her glasses, her face lit up by the iPad in that dim room.

“Poor Aeo must have been neck-deep in work,” Mari whispered.

Lis took a sip of her Daquiri and eyed Mari warily. “Maybe that’s not the case,” she whispered, with Max listening nearby. “Have you heard of the news that Tom’s got –“

She wasn’t able to finish her sentence when the door to their private videoke suite suddenly burst open, with Fred bounding inside, carrying his trademark 10-year-old Talisker Bottles. “Everyone, everyone,” he said out loud, waving his hands. “Have no fear, Lord McAllister is here!”

Max rolled her eyes and muttered “Show off” as most of the girls stopped what they’re doing and stood up to hug the first Mercenary Brother who walked through the door. Lila and Sam actually stopped in their deranged Abba-Howling to join in the group hug. Even Pete stood up to clap his friend on the back, much to Mari’s amusement. Vega, who sat beside a seemingly disapproving Max, just tilted her head and nodded at her friend, shooting him a small smile.

“Ladies, _ladies_ ,” Fred teased as he let Lis and Sam harry him over to the empty space on the couch beside Pete. “There’s enough _Frederico_ for everyone…”

Without looking up from her iPad, Vega muttered to Max under her breath. “Don’t you think that one had too much to drink even before coming here?”

“No, he’s just being a douche as usual,” Max said through gritted teeth, clearly glaring at the man who had both his arms slung over the blonde and the brunette. “Talisker my ass.”

As Lis and Sam started chattering and gossiping with Fred, the man threw his sparkling grin around the place… but not forgetting to land a small little wink at the annoyed-looking girl who sat across him in those faded jeans and low cut tank top covered by an old leather jacket. The girl who sat beside her with the tousled short hair and the peculiar frames just snickered quietly as she typed on her wireless keyboard, staring straight at her iPad.

“Well at least he isn’t as douchy as his best friend,” Vega muttered quietly, loud enough for Max to hear.

Wincing after taking that shot of tequila that came out of nowhere, Max wiped her mouth and shouted at the man who was sitting just across her. “Speaking of idiots, where’s Tom?”

Raising his eyebrows as he was drinking off the margarita Lis offered him, Fred had to put down his glass, purse his lips and look around the room, eager faces surrounding him as they waited with bated breath on what he has to say about their other missing friend.

“Oh you know, he’s up to usual,” Fred spoke, shaking his head and making a face as he placed Lis’s glass down. “He’s with his girlfriend.”

Mari dropped her jaw as Lila almost choked on her drink. Even Alex and Alexa stopped talking to Lis who then gasped and said – “I told you so! I told you so!” Fred’s eyes were focused on Max whose eyes were wider than saucers after hearing what he had to say, but then his gaze fell on the girl who sat almost unseen next to her… still sprawled all over the majority of the long couch, typing on her keyboard…

“I knew it!” Mari said covering her mouth.

Lis nodded at her and said, “I tried to tell you guys! I saw the news on the tabloid! He was pictured going around this gift store with a long-haired woman –“

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Lila exclaimed, looking shocked. “Max and Vega would have known,” she turned to the two who were on the other side of the couch, as everyone forgot about their Abba concert. “Would you have known?”

“I seriously had no idea,” Max answered flatly, still in shock.

“No idea either,” Vega answered flatly without looking up from her device.

“I have seen a clearer picture of his new girlfriend,” Lis exclaimed as the girls huddled around her together, ignoring the two boys present in the area who were engaging in small talk, as Fred suddenly checked his phone. “I’d say she’s of Asian descent, she actually looks just like –“

Before she could finish her sentence, Fred suddenly got up to his feet with his phone in hand. “Well, what do you girls want first, the good news or the bad news?”

Excited as they always were, there was a chorus of “Bad news!” all over the room.

Fred nodded. “Tom will be late for at least another thirty minutes.”

Moans could be heard around the room.

“But,” he added, those green eyes flicking upward to see how they would react. “He’s bringing that girlfriend of his with him. Of course – if you girls would allow it.”

Vega swore she couldn’t hear past the excitement and the anticipation all over the place as her friends started buzzing about, screaming “Of course! We don’t mind!” that echoed in the room. Shrugging silently to herself, she went back to answering her emails, wondering if Daryll had any more work left for her.

 

 

***

 

Indeed Tom kept his word and arrived about thirty minutes later, apologizing about a dinner that he had to keep because of previous engagements, to which the girls forgave him almost as quickly… having seen the girl he had in tow with him.

Bea was beautifully classy, despite wearing a familiar-looking leather jacket, a sleeveless blouse, and a pair of leggings that completely highlighted her hips. Tom did take turns introducing his beloved “sisters” to his new beau, with each of them eagerly standing up to shake the tall lady’s hand. Bea grinned politely and introduced herself to the roster, starting genuine conversation by complimenting Lis’s necklace and congratulating Mari on her wedding. Pete however quickly stood up and exchanged kisses on the cheek with Bea, considering that they worked in the same firm once… before she got in the family business and became an Art Gallery Curator.

However, Vega had to put her iPad aside and smile politely when Tom came face to face with her, with the woman whom he looked at so lovingly standing by his side.

“Oh, and this is Vega,” Tom said as Bea smiled at the girl and held out her hand, to which the smaller woman politely shook. “I reckon that she’s the youngest in the group – save for the twins over there.”

Vega only watched as the couple exchanged awkwardly sweet smiles in front of her.

“Oh,” Tom slightly stuttered upon seeing Bea smile. “And I believe you and Vega here have met before.”

Bea blinked once before flashing a puzzled grin. “Oh have we?”

Vega turned to Tom, lips slightly parted as she felt compelled to do something in order for the woman in front of her to remember her. Getting a bit antsy standing in her Mary Janes, Vega shrugged and suddenly bowed, saying “ _Anneonghaseo_.”

Bea gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. “Oh! _It’s you!_ ”

The smaller Asian girl looked up and curtly smiled… only to see Tom blushing as he looked at Bea’s surprised expression. She then turned those almond-shaped eyes to face Tom and took his hand, “Why didn’t you introduce her to me at the National Gallery back then?!” She turned to Vega. “I’m really sorry, I didn’t recognize you without the –“ Bea gestured to the missing long braid that was hanging down Vega’s back when she was in the Hanbok.

Touching her shorter hair, Vega gave a small smile and said, “No worries,” not noticing how she reverted to speaking in Australian slang once again.

“I guess that’s all of them,” Tom exclaimed as he placed an arm over Bea’s shoulder as he turned his back on Vega, who then resumed her seat beside a weird-looking Max who kept eyeing her face during the entire interaction. “Shall we sit beside Pete and Mari, darling?”

As the newly arrived couple sat beside Mari and Pete, Vega was about to get her iPad when Max snatched it out of her grip, asking her if she could play Temple Run II – even if she already jumpstarted the app.

“But Max I need to answer some emails –“

Without looking at her, the taller brunette who was now sitting like a whore beside her snapped back, “Go mingle with the girls. You’re absolutely isolating yourself. It’s embarrassing.”

“Max –“

However, Max wouldn’t give Vega back her iPad.

Rolling her eyes, Vega was tapped on the shoulder by Lis, who was asking about all of her interactions with Benedict Cumberbatch starting from the Way Anniversary Party. With Tom and Bea subtly holding hands at the corner of her eye as they answered relationship-centric questions provided by Mari and Pete, Vega didn’t mind if she had to fangirl about Sherlock or John Harrison with Lisbeth all night.

Everything was going fine until someone popped “Bohemian Rhapsody” on the videoke machine.

Lis just immediately stopped talking to Vega, Lila, and Alexa... as majority of the girls quickly stood up to aid Fred in singing the iconic Queen single. As much as Vega didn’t have the heart to belt her heart out that night (as she usually does during videokes), she realized that she was the only one left sitting on the couches… aside from the newly inducted couple in their group who was busy exchanging sweet whispers and cuddling in the dark corner of the room.

However, much to Vega’s luck – Max also got up on her feet, leaving her coveted iPod behind on the couch beside her.

 

_Mama, just killed a man,_

_Put a gun against his head,_

_Pulled my trigger, now he's dead._

_Mama, life had just begun,_

_But now I've gone and thrown it all away…_

 

 

On a normal day, Vega would have probably been up on her feet as well, singing along side with Max… and even fighting for the goddamn microphone. But for some reason, she currently hates her boss for suddenly dumping down the minutes of the report on her lap after she left the office, and was expecting a written report on it submitted over the weekend. Well aside from that… Vega just felt unusually lethargic to even open her mouth and sing and she didn’t know why…

It didn’t help at all that she could actually hear Tom singing even if he’s seated down, playing with his new girlfriend’s hair.

 

 

_Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?_

_Bismillah! No, we will not let you go. (Let him go!)_

_Bismillah! We will not let you go. (Let him go!)_

_Bismillah! We will not let you go. (Let me go!)_

_Will not let you go. (Let me go!)_

 

 

For some reason, she found herself hating that song that night.

And it was just so ironic because Vega was singing this with two of her high school best buddies every Recess until they graduated, where one had to become a doctor and one had to fly to Canada. She never really saw them in person again, even if emails and Facebook pokes were exchanged once in a while.

She had to sit through it, blank-faced, until it finished. Over the course of the song, there was just fucked up harmony among her friends that she swore that if escalated even further, with Fred’s howling and Lis’s off-key falcetto delivery, she knew that her migraine would come back and so will her colds. She was such in an awful disposition that she couldn’t understand why she’s putting the blame on her friends on such a wonderful night…

By the time it was over, Max was exhausted as she flopped on the couch beside Vega, giving her a peculiar grin after letting out a sigh of relief.

“I’ve got to go,” Vega lied flatly, supposedly loud enough only for Max to hear. “Need to go back to the office.”

For some weird reason, the other girls heard it, and pitiful groaning were heard all around the room.

 

“What?!”

“Not again, Vega –“

“It’s too early!”

“You are once again being a party pooper –“

“Yeah! Party Pooper Aeo!”

 

Unable to calm them down, Vega turned to her favorite roommie, giving Max as a face that was akin to something that read as “Help-Me-I’m-Hopelessly-Desperate-To-Get-Out-Of-Here”. However, Maxine only managed to raise an eyebrow at her.

 

“You’re leaving,” Max exclaimed.

“Yep,” Vega said, tucking her iPad away.

“Right now,” Max said flatly.

“Yep,” Vega answered again.

“Without even having sung a single song.”

“Yep.”

 

Max laughed sarcastically as Lis, Lila, and Alexa made pleading faces at the smallest girl in the room, asking her not to leave. “Isn’t that weird,” Max started. “You, who never missed a night of videoke – not even singing a single song today! Who are you and what did you do to Vega Guererro?!”

Vega slung her bag over shoulder and shrugged. “Blame my boss,” she said plainly. “He’s a bitch.”

Max crossed her arms. “You owe us a song, Vega.”

 

“Yeah, Vey!”

“At least one song!”

“Please?!”

 

Vega knew she had nowhere to run when Lis thrust the mic in her hand. She felt like shrinking on the spot, being egged on to sing, when she even had her coat on with her messenger bag slung over her shoulder. But then the pressure to leave the vicinity intensified within Vega when she saw Tom turn to look at her with the same pleading eyes as her sisters, wondering if she’d cave in and give in to their demands… maintaining the same expression the entire time while he had his arm looped over Beatrice’s shoulders.

 

“But, I don’t know what to sing…” Vega exclaimed, running a hand through her hair, completely at a loss.

 

Amidst the girl’s suggestions and retorts, Max careless threw the thick black song program at the woman, hitting it square on her chest with a loud thud, causing Vega to stumble backwards, with her messenger bag slipping off her shoulder and onto the floor.

Ignoring Max’s rough and rowdy retort, she just opened the song book and pretended to look for a song over the cheers and pleas of the girls.

 

“Come on, sing us at least a goodbye song, Vega,” Lis called out.

“We won’t be here by Monday!” Sam added.

“Just sing whatever you feel like singing, you twerp,” Max whined, rolling her eyes. “And make it a good one.”

 

Frowning as she leafed through old songs and annoying pop songs she would have probably picked out without a moment’s notice, Vega was contemplating of singing a random Spice Girls song just to appease the maddening crowd.

But then a smile lit up her face as she came across a title of a song that seemed to scream everything that was going on in her head right now.

“I know what I want to sing,” she whispered to herself, the realization forming in her eyes.

 

Throwing the book back to a pleased looking Max, Vega just shrugged at the cheering girls who knew the caliber of her singing prowess. Looking fondly at Lila, Sam, and Lis who would be leaving for the States the next week, Vega swore she saw a trace of a smile on Tom’s face as she programmed the numbers on the videoke machine.

 

 _Don’t Get Me Wrong_ by the Pretenders came up…

And a collective “Ooooh” followed by wild cheers filled the air.

For some reason, Max winked cryptically at Vega, causing her roommate to raise an eyebrow in response.

 

“ _For all you three who made the rest of MY LONDON STAY WORTHWHILE!_ ” Vega screamed over the microphone as the girls in question: the redhead, the blonde, and the brunette stood in front of her, cheering like deranged fangirls that they are. “ _This is for you!_ ”

Hearing her words, the amused smile on Tom’s face slightly disappeared.

 

 

_Don't get me wrong_

_If I'm looking kind of dazzled_

_I see neon lights_

_Whenever you walk by_

_Don't get me wrong_

_If you say hello and I take a ride_

_Upon a sea where the mystic moon_

_Is playing havoc with the tide_

_Don't get me wrong_

 

No hand gestures, no fancy footwork, and no invading of table territory. The way Vega sang the song was simple and somewhat heartfelt. She just stood there, swaying on the spot with both of her hands on the mic, smiling like a Japanese schoolgirl who was asked to perform a song in front of her class, both cheeks turning red at every note.

As much as she felt exhausted and pressured, Vega kept on smiling and singing, at least for the rest of the girls whom she wouldn’t see for a few more months… or even another year. Despite the discomfort, and Vega couldn’t understand where it came from, she found herself smiling as she went through the lyrics of the song… not even having to look back and read it, having memorized it years before.

And she did all of this with her coat still on.

 

 

_Don't get me wrong_

_If I'm acting so distracted_

_I'm thinking about the fireworks_

_That go off when you smile_

_Don't get me wrong_

_If I split like light refracted_

_I'm only off to wander_

_Across a moonlit mile_

 

 

Some of the girls who knew the lyrics sang along with her too.

As much as Vega used to put up a show during videoke performances, this wasn’t as high strung as what she used to do. She just looked like a girl who was trying her best not to sing her heart out. Even the girls eventually toned their cheering down, allowing Vega’s voice to emanate within the sound proofed walls, considering that this time she wasn’t belting her lungs out… But she was singing softly, with a lot of conviction.

But as she sang, there was a small spark in her eye as she looked somewhere else, in an empty space… wondering why this song made her feel so… comfortable, and especially at an awkward moment such as that time.

Before the song could end, Lis, Lila, and Sam quickly ran close to her and started singing the last few lyrics with her on the mic. And this somewhat warmed that cold inside of Vega’s heart.

_Don't get me wrong_

_If I come and go like fashion_

_I might be great tomorrow_

_But hopeless yesterday_

_Don't get me wrong_

_If I fall in the 'mode of passion'_

_It might be unbelievable_

_But let's not say so long_

_It might just be fantastic_

_Don't get me wrong._

 

She gave a theatre performer’s bow, both of her hands in front of her thighs as she bent half of her body low. Despite not being an actor, Vega didn’t know why she did that either.

But she received the loudest of applauses, especially from the trio where were in tears as they quickly breached the distance between their friend, enveloping a flabbergasted Vega in a group hug. Even Max stood up, telling Vega “I’m impressed”, before locking her roommate in a big embrace.

But as soon as the song finished, the sooner Vega was itching to make it to the exit.

Exchanging quick and heartfelt goodbyes, long hugs, and “Better see you soon and if I don’t I’ll punch your face” statements; Vega gave Lila, Sam, and Lis long and grateful hugs before she finally picked up the bag she left on the floor and went for the door. She did give the boys present a curt nod, shooting Bea a small smile before exiting.

What she didn’t notice the entire time was how Tom quickly tore his eyes from the turn of events, as he quietly sang a soft tune in Bea’s ear, loud enough for his new love to hear.

 

“ _Don’t get me wrong if I’m acting so distracted, I’m thinking about the fireworks that go off when you smile …_ ”

Bea could only giggle in response to his sweet little gesture, before Tom stole a quick kiss from her soft lips while everyone else was busy saying goodbye to their sister who just left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See the title? It’s the original group that sang “Don’t Get Me Wrong” (though I prefer Lily Allen’s cover for this chapter). Take note of the title too. You’ll realize that _maybe_ , someone (or two of them) are pretending. ~~_To be in love? To be okay?_~~ We’ll never know. Probably.
> 
> Also, wonder why Tom’s expression changed when Vega said “You made my London Stay Worthwhile” to the girls? Remember those words – she said it to him under the influence of Benadryl while in the park in “A Blind Conversation”. It hit right in the feels. I think that woman is out for blood.
> 
>  **EDIT:** I JUST REALIZED WHEN VEGA SAID "You made my London Stay Worthwhile" to the three girls - SHE WAS SORT OF HINTING THAT THE SONG WAS ACTUALLY DEDICATED TO THE FIRST PERSON SHE EVER SAID THAT LINE TO. _*screams*_


	28. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vega is unable to go home to Melbourne for Christmas because of deadlines she has to meet before the year ends. As she spends Christmas Eve alone in the Way Headquarters, she has no idea what was in store for her that evening.

Eventually came winter.

It was that time of the year when everything gets colder than usual, the weather becomes dreary, everyone else gets sick, while everyone starts to feel giddy with the appearance of Christmas commercialized almost anywhere.

But honestly, Vega swore she was about to pick up a heavy tin of rotten strawberries and throw it at the carolers the next time they attempted to sing at their flat window.

Holidays weren’t holidays at all for Vega, at least not this year.

 

_It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas_

_Everywhere you go_

_Take a look in the Five and Ten_

_Glistening once again_

_With candy canes and silver lanes aglow_

 

Frustrated while talking on the phone, Vega quickly grabbed that enlarged picture of a Balrog’s demonic face from Lord of the Rings and flashed on the big bay window; scaring away the carolers who were probably just less than fifteen years of age. Chuckling to herself, Vega got back on her smartphone, wearing a demonic grin similar to the creature she just laid aside on the table.

“So, did I do what I tell you to?” The voice on the phone crackled.

“Yes Dad,” Vega said with a snigger. “Those British kids just went scampering away in all directions.”

“That’s my girl,” the deep male voice that was clearly calling overseas replied. “Now tell me again why you couldn’t come home for Christmas? You know that your mother won’t be pleased with this.”

Vega closed her eyes and sighed, the pain of it all suddenly rushing through her veins, making her remember why she hated this holiday most of all… especially when she loves the cold, she loves the trees, she loves the gift-giving, she loves family and hot chocolate, and Christmas itself.

“There’s this huge deadline that we’re aiming for by December 26,” she explained painstakingly, wondering why those idiots in the HQ had to have it submitted after Christmas. They could have scheduled it earlier to be timed with the rest of the other departments, but considering that the Way Celebrity Showdown Team is relatively new, revamped, and not even properly launched yet… They decided to go tough on her poor colleagues. “Don’t ask me Dad, I tried to dissuade them for it so most of my members can go home, but of course if someone can’t make it, I need to answer for it.”

There was silence on the other end of the line as Vega curled up on the couch, tucking her feet under her thighs, nibbling on her fingers as she looked at the dreary weather at 7 o’ clock in the morning.

“I see,” her father answered. “I guess I’ll just explain it to your mother.”

“Thanks Dad,” she whispered in a small voice as she bowed her head down. That meant she wouldn’t be having those eggnogs her sister likes making, no churros, no turkey, no specially-made lasagna that was her father’s recipe every Christmas… That meant she wouldn’t be home for Christmas.

“What about Gale?” he suddenly asked. “He does know you’re not coming home, no?”

Vega felt her spirits sank lower than what they actually have. There has been minimized contact with her fiancé, ever since he was promoted as the Melbourne Manager of the Hugo-Hartinsson Expansion of the Digital Marketing Division. He still calls every night before he goes to sleep, but most of the time their talk is short-lived since Vega has to go prepare for work.

“I don’t think he’s coming home either,” she whispered, looking at how the weather was making her even more miserable. “I hear he’s going to Geelong with his family. You know how their internet reception sucks in their summer house. You’ve been there.”

On the weekend when they were supposed to announce to their two families that they were engaged, Sebastian Gale opened up their summer house for his family and Vega’s parents. Her brother was also invited, but he had to bail out because of an emergency that came up with his business. Vega however, knew there were other reasons to it. Despite the awkward first meeting between the to-be in-laws, Vega would admit that her parents did enjoy the beach and the wide summer rest house that was beautifully constructed.

“Well, that seems to be a downer,” her father commented.

“I think we can still talk over Skype,” Vega answered quickly as she miserably stretched herself out on the cold small couch facing the windows, as she absentmindedly picked up a green scarf lying near the armrest and wrapped it around her neck, considering that it started to snow outside. “Or Facetime…”

“That would be good,” the deep voice on the other line said. “The distance must be taking a toll on you, Star. You sure you’ll be alright back there? Mom and I will call you on Christmas morning. I’m sure your brother will be calling sometime afterward.”

“I’ll be fine dad,” Vega answered in a melancholy tone as she played with the edges of the scarf. “Thank you. And Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” her father said adoringly. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“I love you Dad,” was all Vega could say before putting the phone down. It had been more than a year since her father’s last serious ailment, and thanks to the diet and the regular checkup, he has been feeling better. She thinks that his involvement in the rehabilitation program and its members did help with his general well-being. And somehow that thought made her happy.

The rest of the time after that was Vega curled up on the couch, staring at the window… with the scarf still wrapped around her neck, making her somewhat feel warm and protected despite these cold feelings of loneliness. It was a lazy Sunday and once again she was too tired or melancholy to even move. She was even thinking of reducing her lunch into something like clear soup.

She was in the middle of her dreary winter thoughts when the front door suddenly slammed open, and the smell of freshly baked sweet buns filled the room.

“Vega? You awake?” she heard Max’s voice. Rising from the couch, she gave her friend a sheepish little grin… before sinking against the cushioned pillows once again. “Oh there you are…”

She could hear the ruffling of paper bags and plastics behind her as she heard Max work about in the kitchen… before the woman seemingly sank on a chair and let out a loud sigh.

“I hate Christmas.”

Vega raised an eyebrow and peeked over the long couch. “I should be the one saying that,” she exclaimed as she cradled her face on a hand. “You’ve got your wonderful bakery full of sweets, you’ve got your sis and her family… it’s the best time of the year for you.”

“Well yeah,” Max piped up sarcastically. “Only if you weren’t neck-deep in accounting documents, screaming British customers, never-ending bakery deliveries, and screaming nephews playing all over the store!”

Vega chuckled as she leaned against the couch. “So are you saying that you’re skipping Christmas too?”

Scratching her head, Max sighs and says, “I can’t really skip Christmas, I’ve got Christmas Dinner to help with and my sister needs me – Wait up. You’re not coming home for Christmas?!”

The smaller woman turned around and peeked from behind the couch and shook her head.

Max’s face fell. “Oh Vega… How come?”

She smirks and crosses her arms. “Work.”

“I told you,” Max said, mimicking Vega’s gesture. “That work of yours is eventually going to kill you.”

“Probably not,” Vega sighs. “When I’m neck-deep in reports, I’ll somewhat forget that I needed to come home.”

Her best friend sighed and stood up from her seat, ruffling her friend’s short hair affectionately as it popped up from the side of the couch. She eventually returned to her pile of documents and her groceries, shoving them in the pantry.

“Oh and Vega,” Max added before completely disappearing in her room.

“What?” her friend said blankly, staring at the snowflakes falling outside their window.

“You’re wearing Tom’s scarf.”

With a chuckle, Max disappeared into her room with a soft click of the door. It took probably a minute for her words to sink in, before Vega literally leaped out of her lethargic position, unraveling the scarf from her neck as if left rashes on her skin.

 

 

***

 

 

 _24 th December_.

 

Vega felt like glaring at her fully decorated cubicle at the head of their Team’s Department, as the smell of coffee permeated the air. Despite the smell of pine and the cold winter seeping through her skin despite three layers of clothing, the heater has been lowered considering that there were only two people in that office, in the entire floor.

As much she tried to convince Sasha and Carrie not to spend for Christmas Decorations, the two girls went berserk and probably spread tinsel all over their side of the office. At this point in time, when no one in the office were left during the holidays except her and Toph, who was currently shaking, editing videos like a madman after having three cups of coffee, Vega swore that she was too busy to even take the decors down just to appease her annoyance with it.

Stirring a cup of white latte in an attempt to wean herself off with the caffeine till the last few hours, she sat around waiting for an important email before completely going on full rush when it comes to editing the web articles Sasha left behind before going on that European Christmas Trip with her parents, since August wasn’t around to check the articles his junior has for him after running off to Hawaii.

As much as she loved Car and as much as she somewhat despised Gus, Vega had an inkling that with the state of their progress and the deadlines that were set towards the end of the year, there was no chance for her to go home.

And it didn’t help at all how it felt to watch a miserable looking Toph click his way through Adobe Premiere, fixing video after video of backlogs from the Way Anniversary Party, and some random celebrity exposés and interviews Carrie made during the last part of the year.

 

 

_430pm._

 

Two hours towards supposed dinner time, they were barely done with all the work – but Topher had uploaded all the videos to their Beta site, and had been helping Vega with layouting the web articles from Carrie and August.

“This has been one long day,” Vega says stretching after sitting beside Topher who was now sporting eyebags since the last time they saw each other. “Looks like the website is almost ready for launch…”

Yawning as she stood up from her chair, she patted Topher on the back before moving back to her cubicle. “Nice work there mate,” Vega said sleepily.

Holding her head as she went to the untouched vending machine that has been refilled a day before Christmas, she was starting to switch to espresso shots considering that she knew that she had a lot of reports and presentation files to prepare in preparation for the launch of the Way Celebrity Showdown site.

It had been thirty minutes as Vega was putting off her reports to look at sponsorship proposals when Topher suddenly approached her, clutching the beanie that was sitting on his head the entire day.

“Heya Toph,” Vega exclaimed, trying to put on a smile despite how exhausted she was. “What’s up?”

The young man, seemingly antsy, fiddled with the beanie in his hand and scratched his head. “You see Miss Guerrero,” he started, making the woman raise an eyebrow, knowing that once Toph calls her by her last name with the “Miss”, it something serious. “My grandmother is the only one left at home and she is going to need help wrapping up the presents when my cousins come over tomorrow… And I don’t want her to be alone on Christmas Eve.”

Tilting her head, Vega somewhat took pity on Topher.

He was the only one of the colleagues of his position left in the office, and to think about it, Topher has been at it on the editing for days. Vega didn’t really promise an incentive on letting him go Christmas Eve since the website and the layouts are due on Boxing Day. Considering the work Topher has put himself through and that the progress of the entire project is roughly at 75%, that is excluding the reports Vega was supposed to do… maybe she could let the boy off.

“Ah Toph,” Vega said placing a hand over her eyes, knowing that the eyeshadow she put on earlier would have probably rubbed off already. “I’m not that good at coding and if the site goes down, I’m not sure if I can rescue it –“

“I promise,” Toph quickly exclaimed. “I am just a train ride away! I’ll be back the first thing Christmas morning if something ever goes wrong, Miss Vega. I promise you that.”

There was a selfish little voice in Vega’s head that told her that she’ll be all alone, miserable and pathetic as she attempts to finish the rest of her project on Christmas Eve… when she could be at home, moping on how she couldn’t go back to Australia and be with her fiancé… And having a pseudo-relationship with the man she was about to marry was the least of her problems, considering being at the flat and being with her London friends makes her so gosh darn uncomfortable for no reason right now…

 _Well, it’s better to be working my ass off right here than be anywhere else_ , she told herself as she ended up nodding at Toph whose miserable little face suddenly lit up with a smile. To her surprise, the little man suddenly walked around her cubicle and hugged her in a quick manner. Wide-eyed, Vega tapped him on the shoulder where she could reach him, before the man ran off, repeatedly saying “Thank you” even after he closed the office door.

Vega was then faced with an empty and quiet office that was literally silent save for the humming of the airconditioner. As much as she felt a bit of relief of having the freedom to play those girly and embarrassing albums on her speakers, she had to admit that she felt a little bit… lonely.

 

 

 

_9pm._

 

Finishing the first excel concerning budget and accounting, the thing Vega hates the most, she reaches out for her bunny-eared cup with a shaking hand, only to find it empty. Clucking her tongue, she finds herself looking at her hand as if it was going through epilepsy alone, realizing that maybe, she had too much coffee.

Tapping the empty porcelain mug on the plastic counter of her cubicle, she unhooks those big blue Doctor Who earphones from her head and places them on the table, leaving them playing Florence and the Machine’s “You’ve Got The Love” on repeat to possibly shut out that caroler’s songs emanating from outside the windows in the entire business district.

 

 

_Time after time I think "Oh Lord what's the use?"_

_Time after time I think it's just no good_

_'Cause sooner or later in life, the things you love you loose_

_But you got the love I need to see me through_

_Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands up in the air_

_'Cause I know I can count on you_

_Sometimes I feel like saying "Lord I just don't care"_

_But you've got the love I need to see me through_

 

She walks over the vending machine, opting to get only hot water for her tea. Considering that Lis did gift her a box of Twinings Russian Caravan Tea before she left, knowing that Vega was slowly having an affection for the exotic flavors, she packed the entire set up and hid it in her office drawer in case of emergencies – like now. After all she already had too much coffee and if she left it at home, the big evil British bloke who lives with her might end up ransacking it… even if he was often out and about with his girlfriend.

It was actually a relief that Vega barely heard from Tom… well at least not in person.

He continued to leave post its, asking Max about his daily flat duties, when he could do it, and when he has done it. They know that he’s on a promotional junket going round the UK for the few weeks before Christmas, and they wouldn’t hear from him till then. But of course, there were the tabloids. A week before he went on that junket, Vega passed by the smoking hallway near Way to buy ice cream from a street cart when she saw a whole group of girls whining over a cover that featured Tom Hiddleston and his new beau – a whole exclusive scoop about it. Not to mention that they were spotted kissing by a paparazzi during one Art Gallery Exhibit opening. _Not gonna come to your rescue this time, Thomas_ , Vega muttered in her head with a valiant smirk as she closed the online web gossip article about it one time.

Vega felt like hating herself thinking about disgusting relationship shit about her _brother_ at a time when she was emotionally vulnerable like this. _And why should I even bother?_ She glared at the puff of smoke emanating from her tea as she once again procrastinated on her reports. _Tom’s happy and I’m glad he is… At least I’m free from that – whatever it is, and he can go on living without bothering anyone anymore._

That’s when she heard her stomach growl.

 _Why am I even surprised,_ Vega thought as she looked up and peered out of the frosted windows behind her, the lights being magnified through that cold night as she pulled her long coat over her navy-blue blouse, with a thick yellow scarf _that definitely belonged to her this time_ , wrapped around her neck. _After having that Italian takeaway lunch, I would actually last past dinnertime_.

Adjusting the glasses sitting on her nose, the little woman pulled out some fliers from her drawer, thinking of something to order for a decent night meal. Clutching the wireless office phone, Vega ended up stuffing the fliers back into her drawer as she placed the gadget down, palming her face upon realizing that maybe the stores may be closed or jam packed with deliveries considering that its Christmas Eve.

Standing up, she decides to go to the reception and say hello to the security who was on post for Christmas Eve and the next day… _Maybe Steve has any idea where to get a hot meal at this time of the day…_

“Hello Ma’am,” the elderly 40-something blonde guard quickly stood up and greeted her the moment she stepped out of the elevator. “How’s the work treatin’ ya’?”

She knew Steve from the days when she was just a Promotional Officer, walking around the lobby, following Holly Alcott around like a little lost puppy. She did say a “Hello” or “Hi” to him once, and he was one of the security personnel who helped her load her things into the van before she left for Melbourne. He was one of the first to greet her when she returned to Way HQ in London, and she’d usually smile and greet him ever since.

“Work’s rather mean, but I don’t think it’s much of a bother,” she answered, tugging at her scarf. “Listen Steve, do you happen to know any open Delis or places with hot meals? I haven’t had a proper dinner just yet.”

He clucked his tongue and shook his head. “I’m not sure if there’s any open, Miss Vega,” he answered, rubbing his stubble. “But I’ll try to radio any of the guards on roaming if they see any open establishments. Should I just call your Department if they answer?”

Vega nodded. “That would be great. Thanks Steve!”

“You’re welcome, Ma’am.” The security nodded, smiling back at her, before she turned around and marched back into the elevator.

Stomach still grumbling, Vega was thinking of going back to the flat for the meantime and probably ransack the freezer, use those frozen schnitzels Tom may have forgotten about putting in the tray ever since he got a new girlfriend…

She was in the middle of her thoughts when she walked back in the office and was greeted by the smell of bread and sausages.

Discombobulated, she followed the trail of that sweet smell till she found herself standing in front of her office desk, the seat occupied. Messing around with her cellphone, Maxine Jade Gilligan grinned up at her despite that hideously red coat that challenged even Father Christmas himself. But she looked sheepish and adorable with those ear muffs, making Vega laugh upon seeing her.

“How did you get past –“ she exclaimed pointing at the empty office floor hall and the big double doors at the end.

“Security?” Max exclaimed, winking. “Taken care of.”

Vega had no idea what she was talking about, but she kept looking over her shoulder, wondering how on earth did Max get in. But the moment she saw that picnic basket draped with a Christmas-themed fabric covering its contents, her stomach couldn’t help but growl out loud.

“Man you sound hungry,” Max exclaimed, clucking her tongue. “Sit your ass down here and have your dinner.”

Her best friend suddenly looked at her as if she was the best thing that ever happened to her that year, fondly exclaiming, “They’re for me?”

“Of course it’s for you! And me actually,” The woman nods and grabs an empty office chair beside her that was supposedly Carrie’s chair and pats it. “Merry Christmas, Veggie-pie. Not one Mercenary gets left behind.”

 

 

 

_10:49pm_

 

An hour and a half later, two paper plates were lying in the trash bin, where they just ate mashed potatoes, beans, pork links, peas, as well as a good serving of ice cream and chocolate syrup. Vega eventually got back to rushing the last 35% of her reports while Max was sitting beside her playing with the games on her iPad, with someone’s iTouch lobbed on Vega’s speaker dock, playing out loud music in the entire floor.

 

_Sometimes I feel I've got to_

_Run away I've got to_

_Get away_

_From the pain that you drive into the heart of me_

_The love we share_

_Seems to go nowhere_

_I've lost my lights_

_I toss and turn I can't sleep at night_

 

“Marilyn Mason?” Vega exclaimed as she made a face, the computer light reflecting through her glasses. “Is that your fucking playlist?”

Max nodded without looking up from her game.

“Yup,” her friend answered, wincing as a loud fanfare sound came from the iPad. “This is what got me booted out of the bakery for tonight. At least for tonight.”

Halting her fast typing, Vega looked up and raised an eyebrow at her roommie. “Yeah, it made me wonder why you weren’t at your sister’s. Shouldn’t you be helping with Christmas Dinner or Christmas Eve Dinner or something?”

Max shrugged. “You know that Christmas Dinner is on the 25th, not the 24th, right?”

Vega blinked twice and remembered that the tradition of a family eating dinner at Christmas Eve may not be western after all. But it was a tradition she grew up with. Shrugging to herself, she just went back to her work. “Hey. Thank you for that wonderful dinner.”

“Of course!” Max piped up. “Fred and I have been talking how you couldn’t go home and he decided to stay behind in London for one more day at least before he goes to Cornwall to meet his parents, and I wouldn’t be enslaved in that goddamned Bakery.”

The woman smiled gratefully, as she paused from her work to look at her friend so fondly. “You guys didn’t have to,” she whispered.

“Oh hush it, Aeoren,” Max exclaimed, gritting her teeth as she was in the middle of gameplay. “As I told you, no sister or fake imaginary brother gets left behind – BOOYAH!”

Vega frowned down at the iPad. “Is that my Candy Crush?”

Max smiled triumphantly. “And I just broke your record.”

Vega rolled her eyes and groaned.

Max suddenly got up and started doing a victory dance around Vega’s empty office, to the tune of Marilyn Mason’s “Tainted Love”, much to the woman’s chagrin as she covered her face with her palm, truly laughing behind it.

 

_Once I ran to you (I ran)_

_Now I'll run from you_

_This tainted love you've given_

_I give you all a boy could give you_

_Take my tears and that's not nearly all!_

 

They were in the middle of screaming the last line, with Vega singing while typing, when the office doors suddenly burst open with someone wearing a paper crown, dragging a box of expensive wines and treats, blowing a horn in his midst.

“Happy Christmas!” Fred screamed in his deep Scottish Accent, causing Vega’s face to light up and Max to get up from her slouchy sitting position to come running down the hall to punch her friend on the shoulder.

“You’re late!” Max screamed at him over the music.

“No I’m not!” Fred piped back.

Vega ended up laughing to herself as she saved the current file and went to the new one, silently commenting that she’s down to the last 15% of her entire project.

“How are you going to celebrate once 12 strikes? Drinking eggnog?” Fred teasingly snapped back at Max.

“Well yes!” the woman said crossing her arms, glaring at the skyscraper. “We don’t have to live on that damn expensive wine you keep bragging about –“

“Then don’t drink!” Fred shot back, laughing maniacally. “If you think you’re too proud –“

“Guys, guys!” Vega finally stood up from her seat, laughing at the entire exchange and shaking her head at her two friends. As much as she loved them bickering, as much as she would admit that _she could see something else forming before her eyes_ and it pleased her, their little fight was starting to heat up and who knows it may end badly as she would say from experience. “It’s Christmas! Can you guys put a pause on that and just throw firecrackers at each other on New Year?”

Fred laughed out loud, while Max shook her head, slightly smiling at Vega’s comment.

“That’s my Aeo-sis,” the tall man praised her, patting her on the shoulder as he placed his box of drinks and that little container of sweets beside Max’s almost empty Christmas basket. “Remember,” he shot at Max. “The wines I brought are for Vega. If you’re gonna be a ticky little fox, you’re not allowed any –“

“Oh bullshit,” Max shot back, ignoring the way Vega hid her chuckles.

 

 

_11:53pm_

 

“Steve used to work for Active Prospects,” Fred said after taking a sip of the Glenmorangie Scotch he set aside for himself. “Waaay before you or those little girls decided to give us a visit.” Vega found herself smiling beside Max who just literally rolled her eyes. “I gave him a little tip, as well as some Christmas goodies, and he just easily let that beastie right beside you and yours truly in without any problem,” Fred continued before taking another sip of his drink.

“So that’s how you got in,” Vega said amusedly as she turned to Max who just shrugged, seemingly feeling one-upped by Fred as the two girls drank from their glasses of Baileys.

Fred smiled to himself having that wonderful image of Steve sitting downstairs with a heated turkey dinner with sides, a gifted bottle of scotch, and all the sweets he need to keep himself awake till Christmas Day… or when his shift ends.

“Well Steve doesn’t have friends who’d go an extra mile just to set up a pre-Christmas dinner like this,” Vega said stretching out on her office chair in front of her laptop, as she pressed save on her last document, ticking off the last thing on her planner checklist – the Way Celebrity Showdown Launch Project blinking a green 100%. She looked around her friends, Max stretched out on two chairs, seated on Carrie’s office chair and her boots on top of August’s… while Fred was sprawled out on Toph’s desk, with his bottle of Glenmorangie and the corresponding glass of scotch. “You guys are amazing. Thank you.”

Max sniffed, showing a smile afterwards. “Come on stop being mushy Veggie-pie,” she muttered under her breath.

“Anything for a dear sister,” Fred exclaimed, turning up the Christmas playlist he placed on the speaker docks, after berating Max that her metal playlist is killing the festive mood. “But that’s not all –“ he started, raising a finger.

Max rolled her eyes and interrupted him. “Don’t listen to him. I’ll get the cheesecake –“

Vega shrugged. “Wait up,” she said putting a hand on her friend’s arm. “Let’s make a toast for friends and Christmas –“

She was about to raise her glass of cream and alcohol when Fred stopped her. “Come on girls, wait for –“

That’s when the double doors to the office floor opened once again, with someone screaming a deep and powerful “ _Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!_ ”

Vega peeked from behind her glass wondering if the two idiots who were currently with her in the office hired an official Santa Clause to bring her out of her misery. But as the clock struck 12 and the lights out in the street seemed to have gotten brighter, she felt herself blink twice at the person standing at the door, disbelieving everything she sees.

“The guard won’t let _this_ Santa pass by since he doesn’t believe I personally know a famous Way Columnist who was working here,” Tom exclaimed as he ruffled the Santa Hat on his head as he hauled a red velvet sack behind him.

“Yeah, he wouldn’t let you in till he got a signature from Loki,” Fred shot back as he quickly got up on his feet to clap his friend on the back, as the two men exchanged embraces. “Good you made it,” he whispered to the blonde.

“Yeah, you’re too skinny to be a Santa,” Max said rolling her eyes as she joined the two men and dragged her roommate forward and closer to the girl sitting on the other end of the room, adjusting her glasses, pretending to be sending emails till she was also hauled out of her seat by her female friend.

“I’m looking for a Miss Vega Adelie Guererro?” Tom exclaimed in his most convincing Santa Clause voice, causing the girl in question to peer up at him through her spectacles.

“Sources tell me that she’s been naughty latel— _oof!_ ” he was quickly cut short by Max who shoved her elbow into his side, causing the man who was convincingly too hot to be Santa Clause to almost double over in pain as he searched his knapsack for a certain package.

He took out a wrapped box and handed it over to Vega, who just automatically smiled in reply as she received the gift from her other roommie. She looked down and peeked behind the attached folded card, recognizing the handwriting to be Tom’s.

_Happy Christmas Aeo-sissy. From Thain._

“Thanks,” she whispered with a bit of a sheepish grin, as she dared to look up at the man.

For a moment she saw something sparkle in his eyes, but he quickly turned to Max and exclaimed, “I hear you’ve been naughty too young la – _oof!_ Goddamnit, Max –“

Max rolled her eyes. “If you keep talking like that, you’re gonna be a red-eye Santa when you exit this building, Thomas William Hiddleston,” she growled as the man produced a weak _ehehehe_ , sort of shooting Fred a “help me” look as he pulled another wrapped gift out of the sack and handed it to the woman with his arms crossed.

“She’s not gonna get a present next year,” Fred exclaimed as he walked towards Tom who also pulled something out of the sack for him. “Thanks mate.”

“No problem!” Tom replied, winking.

Just when the two were having their moment, Fred quickly cut it short and pulled into Tom’s Christmas sack, revealing another gift. “Well looks like you have more gifts,” Fred started, before gasping. “I bet this is yours!”

Tom somewhat feigned a gasp, but the girls realized it’s real when he accepted it. “I thought I just filled this sack you gave me with my stuff – oh hey! Thanks mate!” He clapped his friend on the shoulder as Fred just ended up winking at him, before pulling out two more.

“Here’s one for the hardworking dame –“ he exclaimed as he handed a big box over to an amused-looking Vega.

“And here’s another one of the lazy little bi – _Ow!_ ” He quickly yowled when Max shoved her elbow this time into Fred’s stomach. “Thanks,” Max huffed in reply as she hovered near Vega who was trying hard not to laugh.

“You idiots think I’m going to be left behind with your little heroic gift giving –“ said the feisty woman as she pulled stuff out of her basket as well. “Complimentary treats and knick knacks from the Gilligan Bakery,” she exclaimed, shoving wrapped pastries to the brothers whom she called Thain and Baldain.

“I got you the Apple Strudels you’ve always wanted,” Max whispered to Vega as Tom and Fred started chatting.

“Thanks sissy,” she said gratefully, giving her friend a small hug.

Fred poured some scotch on one of his empty packed glasses and handed it over to Tom who gratefully accepted it. “Nice work mate,” the brunette praised him. “I’m quite sure you made her night.”

The thespian wrinkled his nose as he sat on one of the nearby office cubicle desks, grinning at Fred who jerked his head in the direction of the two girls silently chatting, as Vega scrambled to send her reports online to her boss who was currently in Paris.

“I hope so,” Tom said softly, subtly letting his gaze linger over the girl who was talking to her other friend without looking up from her computer. “I wouldn’t like it too if I couldn’t come home on Christmas.”

Fred pulled out some of the sweets the three were sharing before Tom arrived and offered it to his friend, as the thespian picked up a small macaron and took a small bite. “I wondered why she didn’t bother to tell us,” the Scot wondered as he scratched his head.

“I believe she didn’t want to bother us,” Tom exclaimed, finishing his macaron before taking a sip out of the glass of whiskey that was offered to him. “That’s your typical Vega…”

The two men turned to look at the two girls conversing, Max seemingly telling the other girl to stop working since its Christmas, while Vega shooting back that she’s almost done as she takes a bite of the same kind of macaron Tom just ate, picking it out of Max’s Christmas Basket.

“Alright then,” Tom exclaimed loudly as he got up from his seat, brushing the crumbs off his hands on his slacks. “I gotta go back.”

Max and Fred got up as well, as Vega once more peeked from behind her computer.

“Come on, the night is young!” Fred tried to persuade him.

“Yeah!” Max added. “And it’s Christmas!”

Tom smiled and laughed a small _ehehehe_ , still wearing that ridiculous looking Santa Clause hat on top of his blazer and his light blue dress shirt. He placed his hands together and bit his lip, saying, “I’m sorry my dears, but I gotta go back to the Hamilton Hodell Press Christmas Party. They will notice that I’ve been gone and you’ll find paparazzis all over Way…”

Fred found himself laughing a bit as Max rolled her eyes.

“You’re such a party pooper too, Thomas,” Max shot back.

“Ah let him go,” Fred exclaimed as Tom gave his friends a wave, lightly bouncing on his feet, definitely giving away that he had probably more than one glass of wine before getting there. “He’s got something special going on –“

Max raised an eyebrow as Fred chuckled to himself and called out to his friend once again.

“Hey Thomas!” he cried out, cupping his hands to his mouth before Tom could close both of the double glass doors. “Say hello to Beatrice for me!”

Tom held one door open and chuckled. “Why don’t you come over to the party and tell her yourself?!”

He then winked as his friends, gave a small wave before heading for the elevators. Fred waved back at him shaking his head, only to turn to Max who just raised an eyebrow, before turning to look at Vega who was still sitting silently in front of her computer, as quiet as she was since Tom walked through those doors.

Finishing another macaron, Vega looked up at Max and smiled, pink crumbs on the side of her mouth. “I love these macarons,” she said sheepishly.

“You’ll get fat,” Max shot back ironically.

“What,” Fred came to Vega’s defense as he looked at Max. “Like you?”

As her two companions continued to bicker, Vega returned to her emails, the sheepish smile on her face quickly melting away. Sure it was a wonderful Christmas, despite being stuck in the office, doing overtimes… thanks to Max and Fred. She truly didn’t expect _him_ to come along, and the fact she couldn’t mention his name in her head, bothered her. But as a friend, she knew she truly appreciated Tom’s presence that night.

Ignoring how Fred and Max’s little quarrels shifted from weight loss to their playlists, Vega quietly pulled out an opened gift from her pedestal… the small package Tom offered her that night. She peeled back the desiccated wrapper to reveal a velvet box that encased two silver diamond earrings… shaped like two stars.

She smiled quietly, admiring how beautiful it was. But somehow, admitting how pretty the gift is, made her feel sick to her stomach.

“Idiot,” she whispered under her breath as she pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders, adjusting her misty glasses, wondering why it got colder all of a sudden.

 

Before the night ended, Vega made a point to finally wrap those gifts she randomly bought for her three roommates, and leave them in front of their rooms (and on the kitchen table for Fred’s) once she has settled herself in the flat on Christmas morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notice how Tom gave Vega star earrings for Christmas? It’s actually a pun on her name. I’ll make note to create a joke for it in the future. Songs featured in this Christmas Special (well it ain’t Christmas anymore anyway) is “It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas” by Celtic Thunder, “You’ve Got the Love” by Florence and the Machine (which is one of the songs of this fic if it had a soundtrack), and “Tainted Love” by Marilyn Mason.


	29. Braving a Memory of a Labyrinth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's almost New Years Eve and Fred has invited his friends over for a sleepover event at his mansion in Cornwall. Once again - what's the worst that can happen?

**_ [Entry # 7] Miss Star’s Special Pudding Recipe _ **

_ 5 COMMENTS _

_ANON – Yummy!_

_J Kelgreg – Is it possible to find the NyaoPudding Brand as you mentioned in a convenience store near the Grid?_

_ANON – Oh I’d love to make that for my boyfriend!_

_TragicAnon1 – I would say that was splendidly delicious. I’m quite sure that the person whom you prepared it for would be delightfully pleased, Miss Star._

_ANON – Have you seen the other Nyao Pudding flavors being mixed up by this half-japanese girl on Youtube?_

**_ [Entry # 15] Miss Star’s Way Celebration Anniversary Party Coverage _ **

_ 7 COMMENTS _

_ANON – Oh my God! I didn’t know you worked for Way!_

_ ReggiCline – Eddie Redmayne is so dreamy. You are such a lucky woman to have met Benedict Cumberbatch!_

_TragicAnon1 – Those Bees Knees seem wonderful, Miss Star. And that is such a beautiful blue dress. It suits the 20s period so perfectly._

**_Miss Star – RE: TragicAnon1:_ ** _The Bees Knees are indeed wonderful! Couldn’t stop drinking, at all! This blue dress is one of my treasured possessions, thank you very much._

_ANON – OMSJGSJGH BENEDICT CUMBERBATHC_

_ Fashionista – That is indeed a wonderful blue dress! Seemed custom made!_

_** MissStar – RE: Fashionista:** Thank you! It’s an old gift. Still suits me though._

****

****

**_ [Entry # 21] Miss Star’s Tips on Saving a Priceless Faux Leather Blazer After Being Drenched in Chlorine _ **

_ 6 COMMENTS _

_ANON – They said something about putting lemon on it…_

_ Fashionista – I’m so sorry to hear that. I hope you get to punch the git in the face._

_TragicAnon1 – You could try the cleaners near the Francois Baker if you say that you live near the Full Grid. I hear they give a good discount._

_**MissStar – RE: TragicAnon1** – That’s curious, a friend suggested that. However, they also recommended the AllInOneSuds around the corner near the CafeSpoilt._

_TragicAnon1 RE: MissStar: Well, your friend is right. That’s good too._

_ANON – THAT IS ONE HELLUVA PRETTY BLAZER YOUR GUY FRIEND IS A WANKER FOR DOING THAT_

****

Vega had fallen asleep reading and replying to comments to her personal/promotions/travel blog where she is slowly publishing her London experiences as a preparation for having it as a Wedding Portfolio when the day finally comes. But as of now, it’s just filled with all the shenanigans that had been happening in her life for the past few months ever since she transferred to London.

All the while she was sprawled over her bed after spending the rest of the days after Christmas watching movies, eating ice cream, having a quick jog around the block, and the like. After securing the Way Celebrity Showdown Project and sending the Final Draft to the Board of Directors, Vega knew her holidays were finally on a roll.

She had even ended up staying up till 4 in the morning just waiting for Gale’s call, but ever since she had quite a row with her boyfriend following his disappearance and failure to answer the phone without a plausible reason during and after Christmas… Vega just ended up watching movies and episodes of her favorite shows, even if she did leave her Skype account online…

Now she has left the album of one of the artists back from her home country, playing on loop in her ear as she slowly fell to slumber…

**_Di mo lang alam_ **

_(You just don’t know)_

**_Ako'y iyong nasaktan_ **

_(That you hurt me)_

**_O baka sakali lang maisip mo naman_ **

_(Or maybe you even thought about it)_

**_Puro siya na lang, sana’y ako naman_ **

_(It’s all about her, what about me?)_

**_Di mo lang alam_ **

_(You just don’t know)_

**_Ika'y minamasdan_ **

_(That I’m glancing at you)_

**_Sana iyong mamalayan_ **

_(I hope that you would even notice)_

**_Hindi mo lang pala alam_ **

_(You just didn’t know)_

 

 

Suddenly there was a loud knocking on Vega’s door, causing the girl to momentarily wrench the Blue TARDIS headphones from her ears, only to look around and realize that it was already morning of the 30th of December, a day before New Year’s Eve.

Wiping a bit of drool off her mouth, Vega turned to open her door only to have a duffle bag thrown in her face.

“What the fuck, Max –“

Hauling her bags across the room, Max looked at Vega still in her jammies, only to end up scratching her head. “Didn’t you get my message and the post-it I left on the fridge?”

Pointing cluelessly at the fridge, Vega murmured, “Which ones are yours again?”

“The pink ones are mine,” Max said arguably with a shudder. “And the red ones are Tom’s.”

Vega shrugged. “They all look alike so I didn’t bother to read ‘em –“

“For fuck’s sakes,” Max growled as she dumped another bag over her duffle. “I know you have a hatred for your brother for abandoning his duties in the flat ever since procuring a lover who is hotter and sophisticated than all the women he has ever brought to bed, and he seems serious enough to have her as Mrs. Hiddleston by parading her in front of every media outlet –“

“Max, you sound angrier at him than you claim that I am –“

“I’M SORRY OKAY,” Max growled. “NO FOOD, NO SWEETS, NO ENTERTAINMENT, NO ONE TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH, AND I still owe him $200 pounds for the flat…” The woman ended up smothering her face with the neck pillow she was holding. “FUCKING THOMAS! Oh just stop looking at me like that, I’m not the one avoiding him back in Christmas like he was the Ghost of Christmas Future! Now pack up and deal with your brother later when we pick them up before Cornwall!”

Vega’s eyes widened upon hearing the word. She did remember a few days ago over twitter, Fred has released an invitation to a New Year’s Party at his mansion in Cornwall, inviting all of the remaining Mercenary Girls in London, including Mari and Pete, as well as Tom and Bea. What had Vega flabbergasted was that maybe she drank too many bottles of Coors over the past few days ever since grabbing a whole box of them during Boxing Day… she completely forgot that the Cornwall Weekend trip was _today_.

“You better get started,” Max reprimanded her as a sour face formed on Vega. “We gotta meet Fred and Tom at the Steam Room by noon. They’re bringing a car and it’s going to be a roadtrip.”

“Well isn’t that grand,” Vega muttered sarcastically under her breath as she threw her duffle bag aside, considering that she did remember Fred saying that he didn’t get a chauffeur this time knowing that majority of the girls can drive. He was saying something about switching drivers to make the trip to Cornwall more fun that possible.

“What’s grand about that, Veggie-pie? You’re gonna play shotgun for the first few hours _and then_ you’ll be the sacrifice on the wheel,” Max exclaimed, throwing the neck pillow at her sleepy face.

 

 

***

 

 

Vega found herself trying to put on a genuine smile once she found herself face to face again with the happy couple with their hands intertwined and Bea leaning comfortably over Tom’s shoulder. She swore she wouldn’t have even dared putting on that sheepish smile if Max hadn’t nudged her in the rib.

It was a few minutes past noon when they arrived at the Steam Room, with the couple having tea and Fred having his usual black. Once everything was settled, Fred led them all to the van that was suited to fit six people, but considering that Mari and Pete would be following after dusk… the automobile would only house five people.

Fred took over the wheel for the first hour, playing Beatles songs as Max and Vega sat on the second row, while the two lovers sat at the third row. As much as you can hear Tom and Fred singing “Yellow Submarine” over Max’s groans and Bea’s soft giggling, Vega had her earphones hooked into her ears as she silently looked at the passing scenery, checking her WiFi-connected phone once in a while if she already got a message from the boyfriend who was still not talking to her…

An hour was down and they decided to do a driver switch when they got to a gasoline station. By that time, Fred had the entire middle seat to himself saying that he lacked sleep as usual, while Max was shotgun and Vega was on the driver’s seat.

Vega’s driving hour was somewhat driving smooth… till she realized that Fred’s playlist was still on the speaker docks of the rented van and it started blasting out that _one Beatles song she dreaded during that ride_.

 

_If I fell in love with you_

_Would you promise to be true?_

_And help me understand_

_'Cause I've been in love before_

_And I've found that love was more_

_Than just holding hands_

 

The girl sucked in her breath and was thinking of unplugging the motherfucking iPod Touch – as how she mentioned it in her mind— but if she did then everyone would see how unmercifully rude she was about _everything_ and _anything_ romantic that was happening in the van that moment.

Trying not to appear agitated, the poor woman found herself focusing her eyes on the road, wishing she could plug in her earphones, but it wouldn’t really help with her driving right now.

 

_If I gave my heart to you_

_I must be sure from the very start_

_That you would love me more than her_

 

It didn’t help that Fred was clearly asleep on the second row, and she could pick out Tom’s voice against the audio as he softly sang that dreaded song to his girlfriend who was lying in his arms, her hair lush against his chest, as he whispered the lyrics softly but loud enough for the driver to grit her teeth…

 

_If I trust in you, oh please_

_Don't run and hide_

_If I love you too, oh please_

_Don't hurt my pride like her_

_'Cause I couldn't stand the pain_

_And I would be sad_

_If our new love was in vain_

 

Vega didn’t understand why her stomach seemed as if it was on fire.

By the time the song was over, Max had the courage to stop the playlist and pull it off the dock, silently muttering that “The Beatles is like an old person band, like that old fucker sleeping behind us”. Vega nodded blankly in agreement, but amidst the silence, she knew it was against her odds if she dared to peek on what was happening behind her.

But as the driver, Vega had every right to look at the rearview mirror, right?

With those chocolate brown eyes darting everywhere, she then looked up to make sure that the distance between their van and the little car behind them were appropriate, only to see a vision that almost robbed her off her breathing.

Before she could even see the other car, she caught a glimpse of Tom and Bea in a heated passionate liplock, with the man tilting his girlfriend’s head up to meet his, his lips partly open, smothering her mouth as his hand was clamped on her shoulder as it slowly climbed up to caress her bare neck… His face contorted in a haze of desire and longing –

It didn’t help at all when in that split second, Tom opened his eyes and gazed in her direction, with his lips still devouring his girlfriend’s… as he turned to glare at the driver who felt as if her entire hair was on fire –

 

“ _VEGA!_ **TRUCK!** ”

 

The girl quickly looked back at the road and realized that _she has gotten on the wrong lane and a truck was approaching them from the other end of the road_.

Fred quickly woke up when he felt the car swerve on the right, as he absentmindedly went “What the bloody fuck is going on?!”

Slowing down her driving now they were out of imminent danger, Vega turned to her left only to realize that Max was gripping her arm from the passenger’s seat, a fiery look of worry and disbelief was etched on her face. “What the fuck has gotten into you?!”

Unable to answer, Vega unconsciously found herself looking at the rear view mirror only to find that the couple at the back was jarred out of their passionate embrace as well; looking worriedly at the front of the car.

Taking a deep breath, Vega could only whisper, “Sorry…”

“Fuck it, I’m taking over the wheel –“ Max argued.

“No! Stay there! I can handle this!”

“You might be fucking get possessed again! Let me –“

“Max! CHILL! IT’S A SINGLE MISTAKE. I CAN HANDLE THIS!”

“You’ll kill us all –“

“JUST CHILL, WILL YOU WOMAN –“

 

What they didn’t notice was the worried look on the brunette woman’s face as she lays cradled in the arms of her lover, as Tom placed a gentle kiss on her forehead comforting her. But then he eventually looked away and out the window, hiding a small satisfied smile on his thin lips.

 

 

 

***

 

 

They were in Cornwall before it could hit 4pm.

Having lunch at the Steam Room before leaving for the beach, they were greeted by tea and scones by they got to Fred’s mansion – the one that was out of commission back when they visited Cornwall almost two years ago. As much as it was barren and surrounded with suspicious looking workers who scared the shit out of Vega and Max back then, now it were teeming with caterers, butlers, and house helps who were probably employed by the McAllister family.

Gathering around an outer veranda as they were served refreshments, Bea muses over the tall hedges that represented the labyrinth on the side of the mansion, as her skyscraper boyfriend surprised her from behind, giving her a warm embrace from the back. Fred stayed behind to talk to _the Maître de la maison_ in order to discuss their rooming assignments and the number of guests that were still to arrive during the day.  As Max blatantly ignored the couple on the banister exchanging sweet nothings as she approached the refreshment table and started nibbling on sweets, Vega found her safe haven near the door as she entered the pin to her iTouch only to find out that a message was waiting for her.

_I’m sorry. – SH_

Pursing her lips, Vega held the gadget in her hand and looked up, seemingly blinded by the afternoon sunlight. As much as she didn’t want to think about it, Cornwall will always be like this – salty waves that aren’t that inviting, labyrinths to get lost in, and a boyfriend who wouldn’t answer her phone or constantly breaking her heart.

But as she looked at the couple nudging noses as Bea sat on the ledge, Tom’s arms wrapped around her waist – Vega wanted to carelessly fling the phone over her shoulder in retort to the useless fiancé who wasn’t even _there_ to distract her from the most awkward situation she has ever been put in ever since she bumped into her College-ex and his wife shopping in a mall in Singapore.

“Scone?” Max asked her absent-mindedly as Vega snapped out of her trance, staring at the door pane the entire time, as she found herself staring at her friend, chewing at the pastry with crumbs gathering on the sides of her mouth.

Taking one from her friend, Vega decided to take a bite even if she didn’t have the appetite.

“Tom,” Fred suddenly called out from behind her as he moved in the veranda, looking a bit distraught. “It looks like we wouldn’t be able to get our rooms till after an hour.”

His blonde friend turned around, still locked in Bea’s embrace, to face the brunette Scot who literally stole the scone Max was eating from under her nose. “How come?” he asked, worriedly raising an eyebrow at him.

Scratching the back of his head, ignoring the murderous glare coming from Max, Fred swallowed the scone bits and said, “Housekeeping are still repairing some of the furnaces, even though I did tell them that it can wait till summer…” He sighed as he pulled his coat around him, shuddering a bit. “And then I remember that it’s still winter.”

Max rolled her eyes in response as Tom and Bea shared a few chuckles.

“So I was thinking, while we waited…” Fred said, his voice trailing off. “Why don’t we explore the sights here?”

Tom found himself looking out at the hedges, a calm expression forming on his face as he felt the woman in his arms gently nudge a space on his neck with her little nose. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, Frederick?”

Wrinkling his nose, Fred kept on talking. “Well, it seems like a nice afternoon to go around and hang around in the gazebos, and –“ The tall brunette suddenly stopped. “I know that face you’re making, Thomas.”

Grinning slyly, a mix of that classic villainy he’s so good at playing, he licked his lips and turned to his friend. “You do know what happened the last time we were in the Labyrinth, do you, Fred?”

Max opened her mouth to retort, remembering _exactly_ what happened in that same maze almost two years ago. Fred crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at his friend, who was now openly grinning back at him, his expression clearly asking the brunette to continue speaking.

“Yes,” Fred said flatly. “You cheated and made me eat your dust.”

Tom started laughing out loud, as Max frantically turned around to see what Vega had to say for herself, considering that _she was one of the winners_ the last time they were there… but to her surprise, Vega had left her bags in front of the refreshment, and had wandered back into the Main Hall, with her iPhone attached to her ear.

“I didn’t cheat,” Tom exclaimed, untangling his arms from the woman who looked up at him in awe, as he approached his friend, their gaming mood suddenly filling the air once more. “I won it fair and square.”

“Well then,” Fred exclaimed, not budging from his stance. “This time you’re going to lose.”

Placing his hands on his hips, laughing _ehehehe_ a bit, Tom looked up at Fred smiling… only for his grin to disappear, those piercing blue eyes clashing with the other man’s greens as he turned serious.

“You can’t be offering a challenge if there’s no prize.”

“The Master’s suite,” said Fred flatly. But then he suddenly smiled at a confused looking Bea and said, “Of course you wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself in front of your woman, and that’s suite’s quite tempting –“

Shaking her head, covering her mouth a bit, Bea exclaimed, “Oh but it isn’t much of a bother if we didn’t get that suite –“

Turning around to smile at her, Tom winked at the girl and said, “Oh hush, sweetheart. I’ll make sure you’re comfortable tonight. Just watch and I’ll win that room for the two of us.” Looking down, blushing a bit, Bea just nodded before looking up to smile brightly at him with those big brown doe eyes. Suddenly finding something to energize him, Tom licked his lips to face Fred – who was still looking as stern as ever.

“You do realize you’re going to have to go against your girl here, Thomas,” Fred exclaimed. “It’s five against five – no teaming.”

The tall blonde just shrugged. “Or it could be the two of us, versus the two of you,” he exclaimed, pointing to him and Bea, to him and Max… causing the side of Fred’s mouth to twitch.

Hearing this, Max suddenly piped up, saying, “Oh hell no! I’m not teaming up with Fre- _dorko_ here! He’s going to fucking slow me down!”

Rolling his eyes, Fred started – “What did you just call me --?”

Ignoring him, Max suddenly stepped forwards, eyeing Tom. “And aren’t you forgetting something?” she said, slightly circling Tom in her jeans, her sweater, and that long scarf, eyeing him annoyingly from head to toe. “Or _someone_?”

Tom blinks twice. “Max, what are you talking about –“

The smaller woman laughed and shook her head at him, sort of disbelieving him. “My my, you’ve gotten _crass_ , Tom,” she said with a gasp, looking around as she chuckled to herself disbelievingly “ _What about Vega?_ ” she whispered maliciously. “Vega might want the Master’s suite too –“

The man winced.

“But the Master’s suite is too big for one person,” he reasoned out. “Surely Vega wouldn’t want that –“

Max stood up at him and glared at him in the eye. “The Master’s suite is _too big_ for _me too_. But I want it. I want a crack at it.” She turned to Fred, with the fire still in her eyes and said, “Don’t you think it’s just fair if we girls get a crack at it too?”

Fred grimaced, laughing a bit. “Sure why not,” he exclaimed. “She does have a point. I don’t mind if she wants to share it with me –“

The woman ended up elbowing him hard in the stomach.

“- or maybe not if she wants to sleep alone,” Fred continued in a small hoarse voice, rubbing the spot on his stomach where the woman bruised him.

Tom hid a bit of a chuckle, ignoring the way Max moved away from him, still clearly a bit pissed off at him. “Well yeah, Max is right,” he said quietly, rolling his eyes. “It’s not a big deal for me. _As long as you are all ready to eat my dust._ ”

“So confident,” Fred exclaimed, ignoring the way Max glared at him. “What makes you think you’ll win again this time –“

“I’ve got my lucky charm,” Tom exclaimed stepping back and taking Bea’s hand. “We can definitely win this.”

For some reason, Max and Fred exchanged weird looks, before the latter suddenly cringed and went, “Ah love! Ever since you fell in love you started mushying up the place, Thomas!” Max palmed her face. “You better be ready to comfort that one when he loses!” Fred said to Bea, pointing at a miffed Tom. “He has a tendency to cry when he doesn’t get what he wants –“

Suddenly a small voice interrupted Fred’s supposed insult.

“Sorry, took a phone call,” Vega suddenly burst in the scene. “What did I miss?”

Max suddenly stood by her side and away from Fred who was really trying hard not to laugh as Tom glared back at him concerning his last statement. Catching his breath, Fred turned to Vega and said, “There you are, Aeo. We were discussing of having a healthy competition over the Master’s suite. Are you in?”

Shrugging, Vega answered, “Sure. Why not? What’s the catch?”

Ignoring the way Tom tried not to look in her direction, the smallest girl in the group waited for Fred to catch his breath from chuckling so he could answer her question.

“Same as before,” Fred said. “Find the biggest Gazebo in the Labyrinth first. So, do you want to join?”

For a moment, it seemed as if Vega saw a ghost with how she turned pale when she heard the words _Gazebo_ and _Labyrinth_. But then a determined look manifested on her small face as she found herself nodding, with Max nudging her shoulder to go and take on the challenge.

“Yeah,” she said softly but firmly. “I’m definitely in.”

 

 

***

 

 

_I’m really sorry I wasn’t able to call you, baby. But I’m glad to hear your voice… - SH_

_Just, don’t do that again, love. – VG_

_Not angry at me anymore? – SH_

_Why would I be? I wish you were here though… - VG_

 

“Are you sure you want to join the game? You can always sit by the sidelines, love… I can do all of that for you…”

 

Vega had to tuck her phone out of sight as she suddenly heard that familiar voice, as Tom and Bea went down from the long winding outdoor staircase from the veranda that connected the garden to the Mansion, as they approached the entrance to the maze. She found herself sitting on one of the white stone chairs that surrounded the opening to the labyrinth, waiting for her companions to come down and start the game.

As the two passed by, she looked up to smile at Bea who grinned brightly back at her and gave her a wave. To her surprise, Tom actually nudged the woman to go sit on the empty space beside Vega, to which the woman just silently obliged and moved to the side to accommodate the woman. But as she did and the taller girl was settled down, Vega went back to checking her mail, clearly not acknowledging the presence of the tall man who stood in front of his girlfriend.

 

_Oh darling, I wish I was there too. – SH_

_Isn’t it even possible for you to come over? I couldn’t stand spending Christmas without you. And now its New Year and… - VG_

_I’ll kiss you over Facetime, if you want. – SH_

_That’s silly. I love it. Don’t fucking do it, Gale. – VG_

 

“Is that your fiancé?” Bea suddenly spoke to Vega who looked up from her phone, flashing a small grin as she suddenly minimized the message app and it went quickly to the lock screen.

Shrugging plainly as she looked up to smile at the taller girl, whose hair cascaded from her shoulders after releasing it from her ponytail earlier, covering those shoulders that was sporting a poncho-like sweater over a turtleneck that made her even look fabulous than plain.

“Yeah, that’s my boyfriend,” Vega answered, pressing her lock screen that flashed a formal picture of her and Gale from almost six months ago.

“When are you getting married?” Bea asked in a curious tone, as the girl she questioned tilted her head and ignored the way Bea’s boyfriend was walking around the entrance, clearly trying not to listen in to the conversation.

Vega sighed. “Probably March,” she whispered, flashing another aching grin. “Or April. We have yet to set a date, but it’s almost finalized.”

“Congratulations!” Bea piped up, smiling as she touched Vega lightly on the arm, to which the girl just replied by giving her an actual genuine smile. Bea was supposed to say something when another voice interrupted her.

“So he finally called.”

Suddenly, Tom piped up from his silence as he turned around, walking his way back to the two women, one whom he loved dearly, and another whom he couldn’t look at… even if he was talking to her.

“Yes,” Vega exclaimed, looking him in the eye.

Tom paused to look at her in the afternoon light, wondering why of all times when he didn’t want to pay attention to her – there was something _different_ about Vega. He couldn’t understand why but her eyes seemed to be more brown than usual, settling with a deep chocolate color that surrounded her irises, a thin faint line of blue surrounding the edges of the solid color. That’s when he exhaled, realizing that she may be wearing contacts… and this made him scoff inside his head, making him not want to think about what happened the last time when she wore lenses to the Labyrinth on a rainy day.

“That’s good,” Tom exclaimed, reaching out to take his girlfriend’s hand. “That’s great.”

As Bea stood up, Max and Fred finally arrived at the scene, seemingly having a heated argument about the rules to the game. Vega unlocked her screen once again to see if Gale has left any messages, to which she saw about a couple, as she listened to her two friends bicker hopelessly like two high schoolers who secretly have a crush on each other but would rather throw insults at each other’s faces than the other to find out the truth.

 

_Still there, hun? – SH_

_Yeah, I’m still here. I may have to go idle for a bit since I’m going on a quest to get myself the biggest room in the mansion. – VG_

_Oh? Really? Go get them, hun! – SH_

_Thanks hun. I’m not sleeping in a cramped quarter tonight. But my friend’s mansion’s pretty big, what may be cramped to me might be twice our hotel in London. – VG_

_As long as you can get to call me up in private so you can wear that lingerie I bought you on your birthday… - SH_

_Fine, fine – VG_

 

“I’m not teaming up with you!” Max said in a fit, pushing away Fred who was literally in shambles, laughing his ass off. “There is no way in hell I’d share that room with you –“

“Oh but you’d definitely get that coveted suite if you stick with me, my wee lass,” he teased a really red and annoyed Max. “But then, if you wish to win alone – I may have to change the rules, and we all have to go against each other.”

He then turns to Bea, who shoots Tom a glance that seemed like an attempt to tell him that she can manage this. “If you don’t mind.”

Nodding, Bea says, “It’s alright. I really don’t mind if I have to go against Tom.” She smiles up at the man who places his arm around her shoulders, as he gently planted a kiss on her temple. “After all, I’m quite sure that he would win that room for us.”

Unhinging his jaw at the way Beatrice winked back at him with how she just subtly joined the way the friends seemed to tease each other over who’s going to win the prize; Fred found himself laughing out loud, much to the confusion that formed on Max’s face as she watched Bea coolly warm up to all of them like a pro.

“Ah Beatrice,” he exclaimed, making a face at Tom to say that he’s impressed. “She’s fast at this, no?”

Chuckling under his breath, Tom whispered, “Well that’s not the only thing she’s fast with…” Slapping Bea on the butt, causing the girl to giggle, Tom then moved forward to his friend to once again put a threatening claim to his title. “Shall we start, Frederick?”

“Start what?”

“That hopeless chase that you’re going to lose.”

“Don’t think that you could gloat this time just because you won the chase the last time.”

Tom laughed ironically, ignoring the way Max stood there clearly looking bored, his girlfriend watching intently behind him, and the other woman still sitting to the side fiddling with her phone.

“As I have said before,” the blonde exclaimed, licking his lips. “I’ve gotten to that Gazebo faster than you every single time you hold this challenge, and this time around won’t change any of that, Frederick.”

Fred rolled his eyes. “Admit it,” he harped back. “You were slower the last time.”

Tom raised an eyebrow. “And why’s that? I still won!”

A sly smile creased out of his friend’s lips. “You were pretty much distracted the last time.”

Upon hearing his words, Tom looked as if someone just dropped a bomb in front of him, as his challenging ego suddenly shrank as he asked, “What are you talking about?”

Seeing the change, Fred uncrossed his arms and chuckled in a dark tone. “Ah Thomas,” he mused. “Your secrets are safe with me.”

The blonde man turned around to see Bea still waiting for the game to start, sort of raising an eyebrow to how he suddenly changed his demeanor. Tom looked back at Fred who was clearly pleased that he shook him out of his triumphant gloating, with a nervous-looking Max who kept looking at her best friend the entire time –

“What secrets are you talking about –“

“Oh no no no,” Fred teased. “It’s not the best time to talk about it! But I’ll have them over your head, Thomas –“

“Oh just put a sock in it, Fred –“ Tom started, agitated.

That’s when someone walked past them, pushing them both apart. Both boys gasped in surprise as Vega marched in the middle and knocked them off from their bickering, cutting their discussion short as she clutched her phone the entire time.

“You boys are so slow,” she barked. “If you’re just going to gloat at each other about winning, I’m heading off to _actually blow dust in your faces_. **_Eat that, suckers! The Master’s Suite is mine!_** _”_

And with that, she broke into a quick march as she suddenly disappeared into the hedges.

Tom stood there, like a deer meeting a car flashing its headlights. He suddenly felt pressure on his arm as Bea’s touch snapped him out of his trance, which was caused mostly by the force of how his little friend pushed him on the chest, as he found himself still glaring at the trail to where Vega disappeared to. However, he failed to notice how Fred laughed at his expression, before he left the scene too… following where Vega has gone off to.

“Ah yes,” he said. “That’s the Aeoren I remember… Right Thain?”

Tom shook his head, before tugging at Bea’s hand, not wanting to be left behind as both Fred and Max disappeared in the labyrinth as well.

“No,” he whispered in response to Fred. “I don’t remember that at all.”

 

 

***

 

 

_“GAME CHANGE! If I see you, I will tag you and YOU WILL BE OUT! TAG ANYONE AND THEY’LL BE OUT! RACE TO THE GAZEBO!”_

 

Those were the last words she heard from Fred somewhere in the hedges when she swore she has gotten far and the man called out their attention when he knew that they’re still nearby. But with this new information, Vega understood why. With their number consisting of only five people, there will come a point that at least two who already know the way would eventually cross paths and they can’t claim the Gazebo theirs at the same time. One has to tag the other out.

She smiled as she broke off into a run, somewhat pacing around trying to remember her way in the maze, despite the fact that when she was there – it wasn’t this sunny, nor was the weather cooperative. The last time it was dark, it was storming, and to make things worse – her eyes ate up her contact lenses and gave her the greatest aching itch of a century.

But this time the sun was out, the afternoon breeze blew a gentle cold wind through her, and Vega somewhat knew that the odds were in her favor.

Or at least that’s what she thought.

Identifying a curve and a red lamp as she ran to her left, Vega remembers the last few turns as the path towards the Grand Gazebo in the middle of the McAllister Labyrinth, if her memory serves her right. But once she emerges through a fake clearing, the girl found herself clutching her phone … realizing that this game must be harder than what she thought.

Quickly and silently moving out of the clearing to find another route, Vega suddenly had to stop in her tracks when she heard someone’s footsteps.

Pocketing her phone and rubbing her hands, the woman’s eyes settled towards a nearby bush that was as big as three giant suitcases that was attached to the hedge, as she tried to formulate a plan.

 _Whoever this may be, I need to tag them out_ , Vega thought as she quickly jumped in the leaves, taking note that it was just probably around 530pm, and it wouldn’t get dark till God knows what. She can stay there hiding till she scares the shit of whoever was getting close, but considering the small and light footsteps, Vega deduced that it would be a woman. _Tag them out and lessen the competition_ , she thought wildly, suddenly wanting that Master’s Suite for herself. _If it’s Max, well and good. We’ll have a good wrestle and a laugh. But if it’s Bea –_

She didn’t understand why her brain suddenly worked like clockwork at such an hour. The last time they played the Labyrinth Game, she was immature enough to get into a fucked up hair-tug-o-war with Max, enough to get the two of them into trouble. But this time she found herself strategizing, listening, understanding, and even plotting. _I must want that fucking suite so bad –_

“Hello?”

A small voice was heard in the clearing as Vega peeked through the gaps to see who it was.

Considering the dark blue jeans and the expensive red Aldo clog slide shoes, she knew it definitely wasn’t Max. As Bea entered the clearing, Vega had to tell herself mentally to keep herself still at the exact moment when she would leap out of the bushes and scare the shit out of the woman, booting her out of the game.

 _I’m so mean with what I’m planning_ , she thought as she tried to keep quiet, the leaves and twigs making her itch. _But I seriously do not understand this feeling of wanting to tag Bea –_

The woman in the red clogs walked around the clearing, obviously aware of the fact that she was not alone. With the way she slowly made her way back to the exit, Vega knew that the woman probably figured out that she was in the wrong place. _Sorry honey_ , she thought. _But this ain’t the place you’re looking for. And I’m coming for you with no one to save you_.

Suddenly, Bea stopped moving.

Vega found herself hiding deeper in the bushes, slowly getting down on a seated position, silently planting her butt on the dirty ground, just so she wouldn’t be noticed in that mass of leaves. As the woman stood still, Vega had to peer through the gaps to understand why Bea wasn’t moving at all, and saw the woman’s angelic face etched with anxiety, as she looked around.

“Is anyone there?”

Vega licked her lips. _Anytime now_. She was pleased that Bea could smell fear, and she was waiting for the best moment to jump out. _But not yet. Not yet till she turns around and thinks that there’s nothing left here in the clearing –_

That’s when Bea turned around.

The little girl was about to burst from the bushes when Bea gave out a loud yelp as Vega had to stop herself from getting out upon hearing _another voice mixed with the woman’s_ , as Bea suddenly fell to the ground… with another body wrapped around hers.

Vega swore she felt as if she stopped breathing when she heard Bea’s attacker speak up.

“ _Gotcha_ ,” Tom whispered in a low and predatory tone, as his girlfriend shrieked and giggled, while she was trapped in his arms.

All of Vega’s desire to burst out and scream _that same line_ Tom delivered to his girlfriend burnt down to a dying ember within her as she resolved to stand still, stay silent as a rabbit, and hope that these two lovers would eventually get up from their position of lying all over the grass and scoot so she would stop sitting there and itching miserably like a loon who has lost all plan of attack.

But as much as she can see through the gaps, she could still hear them. Canoodling.

“ _What do we have here?_ ” she could hear his teasing voice as Bea giggled loudly, only for it to be muffled, as she saw Tom bury his face in the crook of her neck.

Closing her eyes, Vega swore she might end up barfing if she even dare peer through the gaps of the bush again. All she could pray is that 1) they wouldn’t notice that she’s there, and 2) that they retreat back to the Mansion… now that they don’t seem to have a plan of getting that prize anyway…

And this was Tom.

Forever gloating in front of Fred, Tom.

Forever wanting to win and claim the prize, Tom.

 _You little shit_ , Vega whispered in her mind as she tried to shut out Bea’s giggles that were softly turning into gentle moans and the man’s humming against his woman’s skin that was slowly making her sick to her stomach. _Shouldn’t you be trying to win that motherfucking Suite so that you can go ahead and impress your girlfriend?_

“T-Tom, Tom… wait,” Bea’s voice cut through the silence in the clearing. “What about the suite?”

A soft deep giggle could be heard following that question, causing Vega to wrinkle her nose in her hiding place.

“Who cares about that suite,” she heard Tom whisper in a deep voice. “I just really wanted to tag you out so I can spend some private time with you, darling…”

A soft smack was heard, followed by a longer case of moaning, making the unseen and unwelcome witness to their little “private time” to grit her teeth and wish she could find a way to leave the place without being noticed. But unfortunately, she realized that it’s too late and the couple who was standing in her way in the clearing have reached the peak of their petting to a point that it was too uncomfortable for Vega to even keep on listening.

“ _Oh Tom_ ,” she heard Bea gasp, followed by the rustling of fabric on the grass. “Someone might see us…”

She heard lips being disengaged from another, a sound that used to send shivers down her spine… but now drained energy and the will to go on from her being. Someone trying to catch their breath could be heard, followed by a soft sigh… making Vega realize that somehow after spending a year with the person, she could motherfucking recognize even _his sigh…_ and that made her so angry with herself…

“It’s just you and me, love,” she heard him whisper, almost out of breath. “They’re all so far away… Right now, it’ll just be you and me… Nothing else matters…”

“You’re too sweet,” Bea whispered in a breathy voice.

There was a pause in the clearing, making Vega wish that they’d stop being noisy for once.

“ _It’s because I love you, darling._ ”

Hearing those words, Vega swore that it was enough. She has heard enough and she has had enough. Even all the questions that have been raging through her brain for the past several months ever since the Korean-British Film festival have been answered at that moment. And the answers, even if they were solid and definite, something to be happy about for her friend… made her want to forget everything and cleanse her brain of the new knowledge she had wrought.

Bea was no ordinary woman to Tom, and she’s not one of those women he’d momentarily fuck. The news and the gossiping would have been enough, but she had to see – or at least _hear_ – even the most intimate of details that should have been left to the imagination – if you’d even dare go that far. And even if she told herself that she _shouldn’t care_ , she couldn’t explain why this knowledge formed a black hole within her and sucked out all the appetite and the joy she has in life to a point that she was beginning to hate this particular Cornwall trip that has barely even started.

Shutting out all the other sounds, and the little moans both parties were doing – whatever they were doing on the grass, Vega found herself burying her head inside her tucked in arms in the darkness, praying that darkness would come, and that the couple would leave, giving her way to leave the premises undetected.

 _Forget the gazebo, forget the suite,_ she thought in the silence of her head. _I just want to get out of here._

 

 

***

 

 

“IN YOUR FUCKING FACE!”

 

Fred was sporting a sarcastic blank face as Max pushed him back on the chest with her pointer finger. With his feet on the steps of the gazebo, the woman was standing from the inside, clearly boasting the fact that she got there first. As much as Fred does hate being treated this way, (even if he does do it most of the time), being pushed around with their accomplishment being shoved in his face… there was a silence in his head that enjoyed this, watching Max scream at his face on how wrong he was and how he just ate her dust.

“Who won?”

The Scot turned around and raised his eyebrows upon seeing Tom and Bea emerge from the hedges, leaves stuck to their clothing and their hair, despite having their arms linked around each other – Tom’s draped over her shoulder, with the woman’s snaked around his hips. With their faces flushed and huge smiles plastered on their faces, Fred wanted to make an inference, but he just preferred to laugh out loud.

“Well hello Lovebirds,” he exclaimed, spreading his arms. “Looks like you’re sleeping in a normal room tonight. Which is quite a shame because this reckless little diva won the bet –“

Fred suddenly had to duck as a pebble soared past his head, as he turned around and avoided all of Max’s rude comments in response to what he just said.

“Congratulations Dark Jade,” Tom said happily, his eyes disappearing as he smiled. “Seems like you beat the rest of us with that suite.”

Max threw back her head and laughed maniacally, sort of bothering Fred.

“Oh thank you Thomas,” she exclaimed. “It’s just that BALDAIN HERE IS BEING A SORE LOSER –“ she screamed, still poking him murderously with her finger. “- AND SORE LOSERS SHOULD TREAT US OUT TO DINNER!”

Sighing, Fred just palmed his face. “She already gets a suite and even demands dinner,” he pulls back and grabs Max in a headlock, ruffling her hair. “I’M THE HOST YOU CUTE LITTLE NITWIT, OF COURSE I’M TREATING ALL OF YOU OUT TO DINNER!”

Bea and Tom exchange little grins as the latter ran his hand around her shoulder and up her neck, where he gently circled a small hidden welt that he personally created with his mouth while they were sprawled all over each other in the clearing.

“You lil –“ Max started as Fred started to drag her out of the gazebo.

“Alright folks! Nothing to see here! Let’s go back to the Mansion –“

As the group started to make their way out of the biggest clearing within the maze, Max suddenly had to wrestle herself out of Fred’s grip as she looked at the other exit where they all got in. Turning around to the group, she ran a hand through her hair and said, “Wait a minute!”

Fred winced and turned around at her, getting impatient. “What is it? I’m getting hungry –“

“Just wait!” Worry and confusion filled Max’s eyes. “ _Where’s Vega?!_ ”

The group stood silent.

Fred’s eyes widened as he looked around, realizing that there were only four of them – the couple, himself, and Max. The two of them were too busy bickering to even notice that they were missing one, and of course, this time Vega wouldn’t be with Tom because –

The brunette turned around to face his friend who looked as if his face fell, those blue eyes widening with unease as he looked back at the edge of the clearing as well.

“ _Not again_ ,” were the words that escaped Tom’s lips as he unhooked his arm from Bea’s shoulder.

The two boys were about to break into a sprint in an attempt to get back into the maze, when there was a sound of footsteps heard… and a small figure emerged from the maze, also covered in dirt with grass stuck in her short curls.

She looked up at the group with those blank brown eyes and asked a question.

“Who won?”

No one was able to answer her question right away as Fred let out a small sigh, while Tom touched his chest and let out a hearty _ehehehe_ before looking back at the small girl who looked pissed off and annoyed like someone who lost a bus ticket when all she wants to do is go home.

“Max?” Vega echoed in surprise, as Fred pointed at her best friend. “Well congratulations, sis.”

Max was the first to move as she gave the girl a big hug, crashing into her being with a loud thud. Looking quite surprised as she was momentarily knocked off her dreary and pissed off disposition, Vega found herself nodding and eventually patting her best friend at the back…

Suddenly unable to look at the scene, reminding him so much of the last time he was in that same Gazebo two years ago, Tom cast his eyes down as he tugged at Bea’s hand, walking towards the mansion in the opposite direction to where Vega appeared. Fred noticed the couple leaving, and eventually called out to Max, “Come on you two, we got to go back.”

But Max wasn’t listening.

Disengaging from the embrace, Max quickly started picking out the stray leaves in Vega’s hair as the woman started brushing dirt off her clothes. “My God, you look as if you went into a tussle inside the maze – who did you fight with, Aeo?“ her friend asks, showing true concern – something Vega somewhat craves but does not want at the moment. For a moment, she looked up and stared blindly at the three who already went ahead.

“Hey,” Max tried to snap her out of her delirious trance. “You sure you’re okay, Vey?”

The girl blinked twice, glad that her lenses are intact this time… but she was suddenly thankful for sundown since the shadows of her bangs allowed her to hide those red swollen eyelids that she has been trying to deal with for the past thirty minutes…

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song featured at the start of this chapter is “Oo” (Yes) by Up Dharma Down, a Filipino Band that plays alternative music. If you ever come across the entire song (and I suggest you do, because in this chapter and the following chapters, this is Vega’s song) and would like the translation, I would be happy to provide it. The other song featured in this chapter is “If I Fell” by the Beatles. I hate that song. It really hurts in this context.


	30. Not Enough Talisker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner on the first night at the McAllister Manor includes Mari and Pete's company, new guests, and the appearance of a familiar face most of the Mercenaries did not expect. Vega on the other hand, didn't want to care about anything else, except to have that call from her fiancé.

As much as Vega wanted a room all for herself, she couldn’t say no when Max offered for her to stay in that coveted Master’s suite she won over the Labyrinth game. As Max unpacked, Vega jumped on her side of the bed and owned it… by falling into a long nap.

It was almost dinner time when she woke up.

Max had already been downstairs and made her way back up to shake Vega awake, as the woman annoyingly drew back her hair and wiped drool from the side of her mouth.

“I have no idea why you’re being so lethargic,” Max whines as she takes Vega’s stroller bag and brings it closer to her side of the bed. “And you haven’t even unpacked yet!”

“What time is it,” Vega asked lazily.

Max rolled her eyes. “Its 7:30 you Lazy Veggie.” She threw the girl’s sweatshirt that she was wearing in the labyrinth at her sleepy face, considering that Vega was only in her leggings and her faded “Time Lord Raps” shirt after she took a quick shower before falling asleep on the bed. “And you better get dressed, Mari’s already downstairs.”

Even before Max could move towards the bathroom to re-do her ponytail, Vega has jumped off the bed, grabbed her towel, and raced her to the bath.

 

 

***

 

It was a wonderful dinner, Tom would have thought.

Fred managed to have them served with expensive seafood, and he got to taste his favorite kind of scallops that he hasn’t eaten for years on end since he last visited the McAllister manor. Not to mention that they were graced with the presence of Mari and Pete, who were even eager to talk about the new artists who funded in the gallery exhibits Arcadia were holding that year, much to Beatrice’s amusement. _And of course_ , Tom thought as he looked over to glance at the woman in her beautiful black halter top and skinny jeans with her beautiful black hair held up with a lone butterfly clip… _Tonight, she looks breathtaking as ever._

Much to his giddiness and amusement, the newlywed couple still managed to pry her (and him) of details of how they met, and eventually fell in love.

“I reckon Thomas were sneaking glances over my table back at your wedding,” Bea said with such enthusiasm as she looked over to him while he ran his thumb over her hand, while clasping it. “But that’s not where it all started.”

Mari tried to hide a surprised smile and said, “Really?”

Bea and Tom exchanged giddy smiles as the latter ended up looking away, a bit of red on his cheeks. “Well it was in that party in Essex when we really got to know each other better,” Bea exclaimed, turning to smile at him who warmly returned the grin. “We had a little chat and had a few drinks after he was wading in the pool with his suit on…”

For some reason, Mari’s eyebrow shot up and her smile turned sheepish, but she nodded for Bea to continue.

The woman in the butterfly clip and the halter giggled on, as her boyfriend bit his lip and subtly ran a hand over his gray turtleneck shirt to signify how pleased he was with this discussion. “Made me wonder why he was taking a dip with his suit on…”

Pete had to cough to hide a snicker while Mari subtly raised her eyebrows at Tom. “Well you know Tom,” the other brunette exclaimed, taking a sip of her drink after having a spoonful of tripe. “He tends to do silly things.”

The beautiful brunette with the almost shaped eyes smiled fondly at the man seated beside her as she clasped his hand and ran her fingers on his arm. “Oh yes he does,” she whispered quietly as Tom leaned over and gently kissed her cheek.

Mari smiled feebly and placed her wineglass down. “But it’s really sweet, you know,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “You two –“

Suddenly, footsteps coming from the grand staircase and a soft little voice called out, interrupting the brunette.

“Mari?”

Leaving a kiss on Bea’s hand, Tom turned around being seated on one of the couches in the Grand Hall, when he saw who was calling his good friend’s name. Descending from the stairs, with her hair still slightly damp but nonetheless styled enough with a small black clip to the side, she was comfortably dressed in a long knitted black dress that was topped off with a dark grey cardigan and accented with dark grey leggings and a pair of black converse slip-on shoes. But as much as he painfully looked at how she somewhat glowed that night, Tom realized that she wasn’t looking at him at all… but at the beautiful girl who sat across him, who gasped upon seeing her.

“Vega!” Mari quickly exclaimed as she rose from her seat, going past her husband to embrace the little girl who was standing on top of the stairs.

Max stood up from a nearby chair, ignoring how Fred was busy talking to another guest, a colleague the entire night; she approached the two girls and joined the group hug. Other new guests actually littered the scene, some of them were associated from Fred’s firm, and some of them were common friends of Fred’s and Pete’s.

Disengaging from the hug, Vega smiled at her friend. “Boy, am I glad to see you,” she exclaimed, looking at Mari as if she was dying of boredom and she was the only friend she had in the room.

“Why,” Mari teased as she waved to Pete who just nodded at her, grinning politely at the other couple across their couch as she went with the two girls over the open bar at the end of the hall. “Is Max not treating you well?”

Vega turned to look at her buddy who only raised her eyebrow, as if she dared her to say anything mean.

“Nah,” she exclaimed, sitting on the tall stool in front of the bartender who pulled out this sandwich that Max had him keep for her after she tried to skip dinner, thanks to Fred’s accommodations. “She’s actually taking good care of me.”

Subtly looking over at the couple with intertwined fingers sitting in front of her husband, Mari sighed and said, “That’s a relief.”

 

Tom tore his eyes away from the staircase the moment Mari took her friends to the bar, and went back to his dinner and conversation with Bea and Pete. He was listening in with curiosity about Pete and Bea’s experiences in their previous firm, even silently admitting to himself that he was sort of envious how Pete happened to know his woman more than he does. But having been several to Bea’s Gallery Events and seeing her work on some of his free time (thus explaining his absence in the flat), he received enough praise and amazement from his girlfriend for being there for her whenever she needs him.

As the night moved on, new guests arrived. Two of them entered the hall after shaking hands with Fred, having settled their baggage upstairs. Pete turned his head and waved to them as well, while Bea quietly turned her head, hid a soft gasp, subtly glanced at her lover, before standing up as well.

One of them was blonde, and one of them was brunette. They stood almost as tall as the well-known thespian, but the brunette was probably a few inches taller than Tom. He looked on as Bea quickly moved towards them to give them both a hug, to which the brunette responded warmly with a kiss on her cheek… but the blonde had to subtly stop her, smile, and just give her a small embrace.

Tugging at the blonde’s hand, she quickly brought them over to the table where Tom sat, as the man quickly got up to his feet, flashed his prize-winning grin, and exchanged handshakes with Bea’s associates. He found out eventually that the brunette was named Frank Bristol, and the blonde was Allen Cromwell, who used to work with her in Pete’s firm. They were also clients of Active Prospects, so they were involved with Fred as well.

Upon discussion, Tom realized that Frank and Allen were in the same publishing business as Bea and Pete. Frank eventually got a promotion, but Allen still strives to become the writer he always wanted to be. With the way Allen and Bea spoke, he knew that the two knew each other even way before they were in the firm. But the story about it… he knew he had to get it from his girlfriend directly. But being a bit left out in the discussion about papers, their old books, art, and old friends; Tom sat silently, holding his Bea’s hand as he tried his best not to tense up by looking around the room…

It was another hour later when someone arrived that caused Fred to quickly move out of his seat, turning heads around the room.

A tall woman with long brown hair was accompanied by one of the very few ushers in the McAllister estate, with her small bag still under her arm, as she smiled at a maid, allowing her to take away her coat and her bags to her room upstairs. She was dressed in this long A-cut blue dress, covered by a silver shawl to keep out the cold. As Fred approached her with a warm grin, the three girls sitting on the bar were suddenly bothered by the general silence in the Grand Hall as they turned around to see who has arrived. However, recognizing her face… Max and Mari suddenly dropped their jaws and looked at each other in surprise, while Vega tilted her head, disbelieving her eyes.

“Liara,” Fred exclaimed as he moved forward, took her hand, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Glad you could come.”

Staring at the girl, Vega turned to Max who closed her dropped jaw. “Isn’t that –“

“Wait a minute –“

“She really looks familiar,” Mari exclaimed, pushing back a lock behind her ear.

“Isn’t that…” Max’s voice trailed off, when her eyes widened. “Isn’t that Tom’s plus one in that Bahz Luhrman premiere?”

Vega’s eyes suddenly trailed towards the man who was sitting across the hall with his girlfriend, clearly looking aghast and surprised with the presence of the woman who just arrived. Much to Vega’s chagrin, she found Tom looking in her direction as well after seeing Lia, with his eyes quickly coming to meet hers. Seeing the shock in his eyes, Vega looked away almost as quickly and subtly as she can, realizing that the man had no idea that the woman he slept with that caused a rift between the two of them was going to be in the same room with _all of them_ at that same moment.

“Yeah, that’s her alright,” the small brunette exclaimed, taking a sip of her drink.

“What is she doing here?” The sound of Max’s voice wasn’t very inviting.

“Fred mentioned once that Lia was part of his firm,” Vega said, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t you remember?”

Max tore her eyes from the scene and gave the bartended her glass, asking for a refill. “I don’t,” she answered curtly, making Mari purse her lips and tilt her head in wonder. “And I don’t like the looks of this.”

Vega had to hide a smile after she popped in the last piece of her sandwich into her mouth. “Well, of course you don’t,” she whispered.

“What do you mean by that?” Max suddenly snapped back, surprising the two other girls.

Making a face Mari could only see, Vega said, “Nothing –“

However, the woman was interrupted when Fred suddenly started moving towards them with the said woman on tow, her arm linked with his. As much as it disturbed Vega less, she could clearly see how Max was shifting uncomfortably on her seat. Somewhat realizing how she was a veteran when it comes to awkward confrontations such as this (considering that she won’t admit that she’s undergoing a whole new level of the “awkward confrontations” challenge), Vega just pursed her lips and refrained from chuckling to herself as she decided to just smile back at the newcomer.

“Of course, you have met the girls, Liara,” Fred exclaimed as Lia, whose hair was also worn up, suddenly widened her eyes upon finding the familiar smiles of Vega and Mari, in exception of Max who just nodded at her.

But much to Vega’s chagrin, Lia recognized her first.

“Vega!” she exclaimed, hugging her, as the girl had to stop herself from displaying the shock. “How have you been?!”

“Haven’t you heard the news?” Fred exclaimed, beaming. “Vega’s getting married!”

She was somewhat pleased with how the woman lit up. “Oh goodness! Really?” Mari and Max had to duck out of the way again when Lia took the girl in her arms once more. “Congratulations!”

Smiling feebly, Vega just went, “Thanks…” as she randomly played with the ring on her finger again.

Lia then subtly looked around and said, “Who’s the lucky man?”

She saw Fred’s glance questioningly shift to Vega, with Mari covering her mouth as Max’s eyebrow shot up. Smiling to herself, disbelieving whatever the unsaid question was hovering in the air, Vega beamed at the woman who used to made her feel the most uncomfortable a year ago and said, “He’s back in Melbourne. I’ll see him soon though.”

“Oh,” Lia’s face fell as she ominously looked behind her again.

Clearing his throat, Fred tugged on Lia’s arm and said, “So, shall we meet the other guests? You do know the lot of them –“

“That will be great!” she exclaimed, causing Max to roll her eyes without being seen. “I’ll see you later girls!”

Mari and Vega waved back at the girl as Fred harried her over to the table where most of Fred’s other friend’s sat, as they watched Tom suddenly jump up to his feet to kiss the woman with the silver shawl, taking her hand to introduce her to his lover, who hesitantly got up to her feet and then suddenly smiling to shake Lia’s hand.

“I’m really pleased to meet you,” Bea said warmly, returning the handshake. “Tom did tell me that you and Fred are very good friends.”

Lia grinned back brightly at the beautiful woman with a mixed heritage, subtly looking at her from head to toe. “Well Fred and I have been in the same firm for years,” she exclaimed as she glanced at the man who stood beside her, his hands in his pockets. “But I’m really pleased that Thomas here finally decided to go steady.”

Tom just sheepishly smiled at her, running his hands through that blonde curly hair. “About time,” he whispered back, stealing a glance at Bea who sat back down as all the other people standing up followed suit.

“It’s a pleasant surprise, actually,” Lia spoke. “I always thought that Tom here would end up w—“

All of a sudden, Fred cleared his throat. Tom’s eyes widened to look at Lia who just closed her mouth. “But it is such a pleasant surprise,” Lia continued, trying to ease the awkwardness and the subtle discombobulated look on Bea’s face as she took her boyfriend’s hand into hers. “Very pleasant surprise.”

At the same moment in the bar, Vega was chewing on a cherry she found in her Cherry Coke, when she accidentally bit her lip.

“Ow!” she silently squealed.

“What’s wrong?” Max said, turning to her.

“Nothing,” the woman exclaimed, raising a finger to poke at the spot where she accidentally sank her tooth.

 

 

***

 

 

_“Enjoying the night so far, love?”_

“You could say that.”

_“Well I’m here having a nice little drink along Southbank, most of the corporate boys are with me as well… Lunch thing. I reckon you like the taste of Talisker?”_

“I will slap you in the face if I find out you’re at Melba.”

_“Oh come on, baby. You know they still have our favorite seat. I’ll take you to dinner every night when we get back.”_

 

Vega bit on her finger as she walked along the silent part of the veranda, ignoring how Mari and Max were busy gossiping about the other people beyond the doors in the Great Hall as they sat on the couch-style benches in the cool night air. “You mean after our wedding?” she whispered into her smartphone, leaning on the banister that framed the edges of the veranda, keeping it from the beautiful gardens of the McAllister estate that led into the giant Labyrinth…

 _“Of course, darling_ ,” Gale whispered back, sending a small shiver to Vega’s spine.

Vega sighs. “I miss you,” she exhales. “I really do.”

 _“And so do I, Star._ ”

Looking at her nails as she walked back towards Max and Mari still giggling as they looked at her, Vega just pursed her lips upon realizing that maybe the two girls were actually gossiping about her. But it didn’t really matter right now if they were teasing her about her fiancé as she’s on the phone. Little conversations stolen with Gale were enough for her to feel better. _Maybe I’d take a picture of myself in the nightdress he bought me and send it over before bed_ , Vega thought as she randomly rolled her eyes at Max who winked cryptically at her.

“Oh Gale,” she whispered, leaning back on the veranda wall. “What would I give just to have you here with me tonight…”

 _“Oh you don’t need me right now, love,_ ” Gale exclaimed. _“Aren’t the girls with you?_ ”

Vega wrinkled her nose. “Well yes…” she exclaimed, crossing her arms. “But I’m really bored…”

She looked around to find Max and Mari playing spin-the-bottle with their shots ready, as the two looked up at her and started egging her to come and join them. In the middle of their drunken slurs and giggles, Vega took one shot glass and positioned it near her supposed seat on the bench, before indicating to the girls to give her another second as she went back to talking to her fiancé… As the two just ended up groaning.

 _“Darling_ ,” he answered. _“Don’t torture yourself. Spend some time with the girls. You know you wouldn’t have that chance once you go back home… And the night is young, and you’re single! Well not for long, just when I’m not around to remind you that you’re mine –_ “

Vega giggled at the sound of that.

“Oh Gale,” she exclaimed as she stood up again, looking back at the small specks of lights that emanated from the Labyrinth. “I just really want to spend time with you…”

 _“In due time, love,_ ” the voice on the speaker said. _“In due time, we’ll be together. But not right now. A whole new year is coming for us… you just need to wait a bit longer…_ ”

Vega sighed again as she subtly hovered over the door of the veranda, peeking back into the Great Hall… taking a glimpse of the people who were having their teas or drinks, whatever they preferred, before dinner ends. Fred and Lia were busy chatting to each other, while all of Fred’s other guests and associates whom she has probably met and smiled at once were having discussions on their own. Pete was busy chatting with Frank and Allen, while Tom and Bea shared a seat away from the crowd, wrapped up in each other’s arms as they share a whispered conversation with each other.

Eyes locked on _that_ specific scene as she peered through the curtains and the big double doors of the veranda, Vega whispered into the phone, “But Gale… I really need you the most,” she exclaimed, gasping a bit. “ ** _Right now_.”**

There was silence on the other end of the line as she painfully tore her eyes from the scene she was watching, just before Tom planted a gentle kiss on his girlfriend’s forehead.

 _“I’m sorry darling,_ ” Gale whispered. _“I really am truly sorry. I would come fly and be with you there at a moment’s notice -- But as much as I want to be with you right now, you know I couldn’t leave Melbourne right now…_ ”

Vega bit her lip, almost biting the same area where she bit it before. She sighed as she fell back down on her seat, taking a shot of the drink that Mari prepared for her.

 _“…but I miss you just as much, Vega love._ ”

Taking a deep breath, she just nodded, glad it was dark enough to hide the tears in her eyes.

“I know,” she whispered. “I understand.”

 

 

 

***

“Take another shot.”

“But this is like the nth –“

“Take another shot.”

 

Vega blinked one eye and then another, before tilting her head, glaring at Max and Mari as she took the bottle and unscrewed the cork to pour more alcohol in her shot glass. But even before she can reach half of the glass, the bottle suddenly ran dry.

Shaking it bewilderedly, peeking through the hole, Vega went – “Not enough Talisker –“

As she shook it deliberately, Max had to grab it from her to stop it from ramming it in her face. “Oh cut it out, Veggie-pie,” the girl in the denim jacket and the hipster shirt exclaimed, ruffling a hand through her shoulder-length layered hair. “You might take an eye out.”

The girl in the pretty black dress sank back on her chair, somewhat miserable that they ran out of alcohol and half relieved that she didn’t have to take more. But when Mari pulled out another bottle from under the chair, Vega suddenly started clapping like a deranged seal, while Max groaned out miserably.

“Well here’s the rest of your shot,” Mari said after popping the cork and pouring the rest of Vega’s drink.

“Yay!” Vega said clapping her hands once more, before putting the glass to her lips, taking everything in one gulp.

“Jesus Christ,” Max groaned. “Since when did this one become an alcoholic?”

Mari shrugs. “Can’t come home on Christmas, fiancé gives a few calls…” she subtly looks behind her, peeking in the Grand Hall. “Not to mention that her favorite brother’s pretty busy –“

Max rolls her eyes and hides a grin, considering Vega just slammed her glass down.

“I don’t blame her,” Mari said with a mischievous grin.

“Alright motherfuckers,” Vega barked, stretching her small hands on the table. “What do you have for me this time?”

The two women who sat in front of her exchanged silly grins, as the brunette with the longer hair, printed blouse, and knee-length balloon skirt grinned and leaned forward on her chair. “So Vega,” Mari started, licking her lips. “Have you already had sex with your fiancé?”

The smaller woman’s eyebrow shot up.

“No,” Vega said with a dead look in her eye.

Mari dropped her jaw and Max ended up burying her face in her arms, sprawled on the table as she tried so hard not to snigger despite the fact that she was drunker than fuck with an alcohol content too high to even let her touch a steering wheel even if she wanted to.

“Oh Aeo sweetie,” Mari said disbelievingly.

“I’m not surprised,” Max shot back.

“Why not?!” her friend whined at her. “You’re truly missing out, Vey! It’s such a wonderful experience, having to share the body with the one you love…”

Making a face, Vega found herself pouring herself another shot as she probably drank it with much remorse, considering she was being ticked off with how Max rose from her position only to tilt her head back and start laughing out rambunctiously on her seat.

“We had a little agreement,” the short-haired brunette in the black knitted dress started. “That we’d abstain till our wedding day just so we’d be horny enough to eat each other up like two acid rabbits in the hotel the night after,” she said wiping a bit of wine off her lips. By the time she was done talking, she turned to see two of her friends staring at her as if she grew another eye on her head.

“My my, you are serious about this,” Max said, wide-eyed.

“Well,” Mari said, blinking. “I personally find that hot. Especially once the guy sees you undressing on your wedding night…” Biting her lip, Mari puts her hands together, before flicking her eyes to look at her friend. “Planning to fuck in your wedding dress, Vega?”

A sparkle seemed to have appeared in the girl’s eyes hearing that. “ _Oh yes._ ”

With both girl’s suddenly screaming as they pointed fingers at each other, Max ended up making a disgusted face as she poured herself another glass of her drink.

“PSYCHED!” Vega said, pointing at her roommie.

“Shut up Vega, that was TMI,” Max exclaimed, tearing at her short hair. “Oh God the images –“

“Oh shut up, you haven’t seen my fiancé yet.”

“Which is completely your fault –“

“Take a shot,” Vega said, offering to pour her best friend some Talisker.

Grunting at her, Max shoved the glass towards her roommie as Vega graciously filled in her friend’s shot glass, watching her intently with those hazy eyes as Max downed the shot with one gulp.

“So,” Vega said slyly, leaning back on her chair and crossing her legs. “You’re jealous of Lia.”

Max got up to her feet, eyes on fire. “FUCK NO –“

“FUCK YES!”

Mari suddenly covered her mouth as she looked at both of her friends with wide eyes, hiding the big smile on her mouth, seeing the developments. Vega, clearly drunk, had also gotten up on her feet, still holding the bottle, her finger pointed at her friend.

“Oh darling!” Vega started, pointing her finger at Max once more, the other girl looking horrified. “I’ve seen you bicker with Fred, and oh have I seen you look at him! You’re jealous baby, _and I know jelly when I see it!_ ”

The woman in the spotlight opened her mouth and closed it, only to drop her finger and look around sheepishly, tears seemingly forming in her eyes.

“You know what,” Max suddenly exclaimed, backing away from their little party table. “I’m out. I’m so done, I’m going to bed –“

That same moment she turned around and took a step, she suddenly sauntered and fell flat on the floor. Mari quickly got up to her feet to run over her friend who tried to get back on her feet, as her other friend in the black dress was beside herself laughing like a deranged madman who had no sympathy for the best friend who had been looking out for her ever since they arrived in Cornwall.

“Oh Max,” Mari said worriedly, holding on to her drunken friend’s arm. “Please be careful – “ She turned around to her other friend who fell back on her seat. “Vega, maybe you two should go up –“

“Oh don’t you dare let that woman near me –“ Max barked, eyes glaring towards the girl who was still trying to get a hold of herself.

“Yeah,” Vega shot back, a bit giggly. “I may have to take another call and one more shot while on it.”

Mari looked at two of her friends, kind of scared what may happen to the two of them in the morning, considering that both were drunk, one was unusually obnoxious, and one was utterly offended. She thought that maybe if they slept it off, they would forget about it.

“Alright then. Max, I’ll take you upstairs,” Mari exclaimed, slinging the drunken girl’s arm over her shoulder. Considering that Max did have most of the drinks that night, even taking the shots she poured over for Vega at first, when the girl wasn’t in the mood for drinking after ending the call with her boyfriend. Turning to the other girl still on the couch, “Vega, you better wash that alcohol down while you can. And better get to bed soon too…”

Raising her thumb up, Vega exclaimed, “Will do, madam,” before Mari and Max exited the veranda, the latter still glaring at her.

“Remind me never to get the two of you drunk at the same time,” Mari said wistfully as she made her way towards the staircase, realizing that the other guests have left the Grand Hall and housekeeping have already cleared the dishes and the snacks while the three of them were busy drinking like deranged bar hoppers in the veranda.

Vega stayed out in the veranda for another thirty minutes, leaning back on the couch-style benches as she looked repeatedly back at her iPhone, the light reflected on her face as she scanned her messages, looking for a hint and leaving a chat for Gale whether if she could still probably talk to him before she went to bed.

But considering that he did say that he will be in a meeting an hour after she hung up on him, Vega knew her chances of getting a good night call was futile. Throwing her head back, she found herself exiting the veranda as well, approaching the bartender whose shift was almost over the day, asking him for some sparkling water or something else that would probably help her get rid of the hangover.

Three or four glasses later and she was still feeling wankered, mischievous, dizzy, and lonely since two of her friends just bailed out on her… Vega decided to make her way back upstairs to her room.

“Master’s suite… Master’s suite…”

Even the way she walked was uneven, despite Max being in a worse situation than she is. She never realized that ten shots of Talisker would be that insane… considering that it’s just wine…

“Ah yes.”

Opening the door to the room, Vega sauntered inside, slipping the cardigan off her shoulders and stepping out of her slip-on chucks as she smirked while she got in the covers, considering that Max was already bunched up in it. She knew the girl was probably still angry at her, still not talking to her… or was fast asleep.

Fluffing her pillow, Vega found herself still smirking. “Yeah yeah, I know what I did was wrong… I’m sorry…”

Max just grunted, somewhat making Vega feel better.

“I shouldn’t have said that. Friends?”

The girl just grunted again.

Smiling in the dark, emitting a small snicker, she turned around and patted the girl on the hair. “Goodnight Maxi, don’t hate me anymore.” With that, she turned around drunkenly to her side and buried her face into her pillow.

She didn’t understand though why Max suddenly wrapped her arms around her waist, brushing their face up against the back of her neck, making Vega feel really uncomfortable wondering why Max was being too… _intimately clingy_. But the moment she spoke, that’s when she knew _something was definitely and positively wrong_.

“ _Goodnight darling,_ ” came that deep baritone that seemed to have shaken Vega out of her drunken haze, causing her to leap out of bed screaming.

“OH MY FUCKING GOD –“

“BEA, DARLING WHAT’S WRO –“

Quickly turning on the bedside lamp, the girl was clutching her chest in complete fear and shock only to find a blonde, curly-haired man only dressed in his night pyjamas as he knelt on the bed, squinting at her… only for those blue eyes to widen in shock as well.

“OH MY GOD, VEGA –“ Tom started, both of his hands shooting up to cover his mouth.

Backing off the bed and picking her cardigan and shoes from the floor, the girl had to drop her gaze down considering that the man was currently shirtless and was definitely flaunting something similar to his Roman-Warrior build that he sported back when he played _Coriolanus_ onstage.

“I’m so sorry,” she winced, covering her right eye. “I’m so _fucking_ sorry –“

“Oh Aeo, it’s alright –“

“Really _fucking_ sorry,” she babbled nonsensically, now as she quickly moved towards the door, grabbing the knob. “Never gonna happen again.”

She quickly marched out of the room that she didn’t notice the fact that Tom did turn red in the cheeks, but it was barely noticeable with just the two bedside nightlamps open… and Vega did slam the door in his face.

Banging her hand against her forehead, cursing herself for getting too drunk to function normally, Vega found herself digging her toes in the carpeted floor of the hall as she summoned the strength to climb out of her hole of shame and move out of the way before anyone would notice that she was still standing in front of –

“Hi there,” Bea exclaimed, as she approached her out of nowhere. “You alright?”

Vega removed the hand on her face as she looked sheepishly at the woman, who looked stunning even in her night dress, accentuating her hips and that wonderful rack that would make any man who saw her right now red with much delight. Even by looking at her in that cute little black knitted dress, Vega felt terribly _insufficient_.

“I’m so soooo sorry,” she mumbled, holding her cardigan and her shoes. “I really didn’t mean to – I got into the wrong room and I couldn’t see through the dark without my glasses on and – I swear –“ she looked back, remembering that the woman’s boyfriend was in that room. “I didn’t see anything –“

To her surprise, Beatrice Cohen-Wright just smiled.

“It’s no problem sweetie,” she said, her voice sounding like bells at a time like that. “You’re in the Master’s suite right?”

“Yeah,” Vega nodded profusely, ashamed as ever.

She smiled and held out her hand. “I’ll take you there.”

 

***

 

 

“It’s really amazing how you, Max, Mari, Fred, and Tom turned out to be old friends all this time,” Bea exclaimed as she walked barefoot beside Vega, who managed to slip on her chucks as they walked quite a great distance from their room to the Master’s suite. “It’s great to find friends who are willing to be with you after a long period of time… And still have the connection you all have from all those years ago.”

Vega just smiled feebly, her eyes looking at the ornate designs on the carpet. “It’s a miracle really,” she exclaimed, trying not to look directly at the girl and end up staring at her breasts that were literally highlighted with the way the floral lace of the nightdress held her chest together, even if a shawl was covering her shoulders. “We all never thought we’d meet all of each other in person. But now here we are and it turns out we all live in such a small world.”

Bea smiled at her answer as she took another turn that made Vega go “Aaaah”, remembering the way to the suite the right way around.

“Here we are,” the taller girl exclaimed, touching the Celtic design to the Master’s suite. Vega looked up at it and realized why she ended up at the couple’s room – both of their rooms had the same tail and wooden carvings of a mermaid on their doors. But as Vega turned her head to the left, she realized that the Master’s suite had a dagger-design for the knobs – the one thing that made it especially different.

“Thanks so much,” she exclaimed with much gratitude, smiling up at Bea as she dared to look the woman in the face. Bea smiled back and held Vega’s hand, making the smaller woman realize how these small adorable dimples appeared on Beatrice’s cheeks whenever she felt like grinning. And that was one of the things that made Bea stand out. “I never thought I’d find the Master’s suite in that drunken haze I’m going through…”

“Just take an antacid and some water,” she advised, giving her hand a pat. “You should have told me, I would have taken some from the room and gave it to you.”

Vega shook her head and placed a hand on the knob. “You didn’t have to,” she said politely, grinning up at her. “You’re sweet. You’re too sweet. You really didn’t have to do that – or even take me here.”

Bea grinned as she looked at the girl’s small hands in hers. “It’s the least I could do for my Tom’s favorite sister,” she whispered.

For a moment, the smile on Vega’s face disappeared, upon hearing what she just said. In an attempt to hide the discomfort inside of her, she just ended up giving her a small grin as she nodded in reply to what Bea just stated.

“You’re really sweet,” Vega suddenly spoke up. “And really kind too…” her voice trailed off as she looked up at the dimly lit hall across them as she released Bea’s hand. “Just the kind of perfect for my best friend… Please take care of him.”

Bea looked at her, seemingly trying to read past her eyes, when she suddenly smiled and embraced the shocked-looking girl who stood right in front of her.

“Oh Vega,” she exclaimed, hugging her tight. “You have no idea how happy that makes me…” She suddenly disengaged herself from the hug, only to hold both of her hands this time. “I’ve been so worried that we wouldn’t be good friends or you didn’t approve of me… and I’ve always wanted to make a good impression on you!”

The girl stared at her disbelievingly, before letting out a small laugh, muttering, “Me? Why?”

“You’re Tom’s best friend!” Bea exclaimed out loud, causing Vega to stare at her in a bit of surprise. “The man sometimes wouldn’t stop talking about how his ‘little sister’ that wasn’t Emma made her way up from Australia, end up working in London and was now getting married! He always spoke of you in high regard; I knew I just had to get on your good side.”

Vega had to stop herself from making a face, but she had to flash a small uncertain grin as she looked down, trying to imagine the man saying so many things about her. She just couldn’t imagine it anymore.

“It’s alright,” she replied, smiling back at Bea who now released her other hand. “I already liked you the moment I met you in the National Library.”

“And that you were wearing was truly a wonderful Hanbok,” she exclaimed, looking fondly at Vega.

“Thank you,” the other woman replied politely.

“Now get some sleep,” she exclaimed, patting the girl on the shoulder. “It seems like all of us have a big day tomorrow. It’s New Year’s Eve!”

Opening the door and stepping inside, Vega could only nod and feign excitement as she smiled back at the woman. “Yes, it’s quite the big day,” she spoke, the migraine of her hangover starting to take over her head again.

“Hope you have sweet dreams,” the woman said cheerfully, waving. “Goodnight!”

“Goodnight,” Vega said with a smile before closing the door.

Once Bea has left and silence reigned over the room (save for Max’s loud snoring in their shared King size bed), Vega found herself staring blankly at the door, thinking about everything she just heard and found out during the last few minutes before she got into her room. And it made her feel so uncomfortable, to a point that even her migraine was a relief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sort of inserted some “Little Mermaid” references with the Master’s Suite: the tail, the mermaid, and the dagger. It’s also weird that the mermaid theme was also in Tom and Bea’s room. Kind of says something? Maybe?


	31. A Soft Sweet Sound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Cornwall New Year's Eve saga continues. As a couple gets cozier by the beach, someone gets too acquainted with a bottle of wine. And its the New Year's Eve party where anything can happen... including a prelude to a promise that will surprise everyone.

_“Aaaah!_ ”

Parting his lips and catching his breath, Tom eased the way he grinded his hips against hers and allowed the woman to breathe as he pressed his forehead against the woman’s, letting his hands linger around her torso… feeling the smooth skin brush against his fingers as he hovers his lips over her sweet mouth, waiting for a kiss once he knows that she has calmed down.

Bea stretched herself on the remainder of the bed, wriggling her hips a bit after that little showdown they had that early morning, her chest still heaving with those big beautiful hands snug right on her abdomen below her breasts, as she panted after being fucked so slowly against the headboard of the common guest room…Before she slowly opened those beautiful brown-doe eyes to meet his smiling blue ones…

“My God, Tom,” she whispered. “You just know how to take a girl’s breath away…”

“Just yours, darling,” he whispered back, nuzzling his nose against hers, happily listening to the way she giggled. “I only dare to take your breath away… and nobody else’s.”

As her laughter slowly faded away, she found herself lifting her head and kissing him, as they sank into a stupor of bliss, mouths slightly parted being smeared gently upon each other, her tongue being teased by his as he slipped it against the crook of her mouth, with her hands slowly gliding from his hips and up his spine… as he gently pressed his now flaccid shaft against her leg after having her filled to the brim with it during those early hours of the morning.

Disengaging his lips from hers with a gentle smack, Tom felt like smiling against the crook of her neck without opening his eyes as Bea played happily with his blonde curls that were slowly growing out of proportion.

“I love you darling,” he whispered into her ear.

“I love you too, Tom,” she graciously answered as she kissed his cheekbone.

After burying his face into her long black hair, he then opened his eyes and looked around the room, while gently pressing his body against the beautiful woman naked on her bed. His eyes then fell on that beautiful laced nightgown that he managed to take it off her body himself that night after her little trip to the Master’s suite, when he found himself chuckling.

“You should wear that more often before bed, love,” Tom teased.

“I already wore that one for you last night,” Bea said, tilting her head to raise an eyebrow at him. “What am I going to wear tonight, now?!”

Tom looked up at her with those bright blue eyes and grinned cheekily. “How about nothing?”

The woman ended up pulling the pillow from underneath her head to bop him on the nose with it, as the man ended up laughing a hearty _eheheheh_ as he got out of bed, stark naked.

“How about breakfast in bed?” he asked as he got into those dark grey pyjamas he was wearing the night before.

“Housekeeping or _even_ Frederick might not be up yet,” Bea exclaimed sitting up, pulling up the covers to her chest as she watched her man walk around the room with his top off, as he looked for that black wife-beater he was wearing before bed.

“Oh don’t worry darling,” Tom answered as he picked up the fabric he was looking for, slipping it over his shoulders. “I can cook.”

The girl smiled impressively as he walked around the room once more and around the bed, just so he can steal another kiss from her lips. “Just stay there and I’ll be back with breakfast,” he exclaimed once he disengaged from her lips.

“Alright,” she answered, pulling the covers around her.

Giving her a quick wink before stepping out of the doors, Tom found himself biting his lip as he closed their room behind him, contemplating a quick jog around the mansion before setting up their breakfast. But considering that maybe Bea was already hungry, he decided on making them French toast and beans first.

Whistling to himself as he walked down the hall, he didn’t notice that Pete was standing by the next room, their door open.

“Morning!” Tom greeted him cheerfully as the man waved back at him.

 _Everything is just perfect when you’re in love_ , he thought happily to himself as he made a right turn and began to go down the staircase. _After all, this is a big day…_

 

 

 

***

 

 

It was actually a lovely windy cold morning, considering it was still considered winter.

 

After a little trip to the market, Fred had most of his guests provided with a wonderful fresh breakfast, on the small villa on the McAllister estate that was facing the ocean. As much as it was cold, the beach and the waves lapping up at it were very tempting that some of the guests decided to take off their shoes and take a little dip in the water.

Miss Bea Cohen-Wright, however, wanted to do a little bit more. Dressed up in a thick wool jacket, she was wearing only a white two piece bikini underneath her jeans, evidenced as her lover came up to her on the beach and opened her jacket… exchanging kisses and displays of affections with her as they stepped over the water.

Their shrieks could be heard over breakfast, as a hungover and passive Max just stared at her English Breakfast; while Vega could be seen wearing earphones on the table while reading the newspaper, munching through her toast. Mari who sat across her made a face, trying to get Vega’s attention, gesturing to her ears. But the woman would only raise an eyebrow, saying that she couldn’t hear her.

Later on, Max ended up pulling off the earphones herself, when she was asking Vega to pass the salt.

“Still angry at me?” the smaller brunette asked as-a-matter-of-factly.

“No,” Max growled back at her as she chomped on a sausage link.

Silence continued as the giggling and the shouting being heard at the beach, less than a few steps away from the veranda where they were having breakfast.

“Aren’t those two going to have breakfast?” Max whined as she squinted in the morning light, looking at the two lovers now rolling around the water and the sand.

Dabbing the table napkin on her mouth, Mari pushed her mashed potatoes aside and then leaned over the table. “I heard something this morning,” she exclaimed, ignoring the raised eyebrow from her husband sitting beside her. “You two better listen up.”

Vega straightened up after being in a position of whining, while Max raised her head after having to lean over her hand.

“Well, Pete and I were just waking up,” Mari started, ignoring the little chuckle that escaped her husband. ”Alright, alright – we’ve been awake for an hour… when we heard that we weren’t the only ones busy. Someone next door – in the next room were acting like rabid acid bunnies, and oh Lord, you two would know that Petey and I wanted a second round of our morning _activities_ upon hearing them…”

The girl who was reportedly engaged winced, wondering why she has to know about someone else’s sex life right now. And she didn’t like where this discussion was going.

“So once the scuffle in the other room was over, Pete decided to get some water for the two of us, when he went out of the room and bumped into half of the couple next door – guess who it was?”

Vega wasn’t interested in the discussion anymore, and was randomly eyeing the bottle of champagne in the basket on their table. “This is champagne, isn’t it?” she asked.

“It was Thain, isn’t it?” Max said lazily, looking up at Mari after having to place her aching head on the placemat of their table.

“Oh you guessed it right,” Mari said as she started gesturing about, ignoring the way Vega rolled her eyes and groaned. “He was walking about with a bounce in his step and whistling at the same time, wearing this black wife-beater in his gray pajamas and –“

Vega had gotten up and grabbed the champagne bottle. “Good bye friends, I’ll be in my room.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

Max would have probably said that “silly, jelly, little Veggie-pie skipped lunch”, but when she went back to their room, she saw her friend jumping about in this really sexy black short-dress, peering down her iPad, blinking her bedroom eyes at her fiancé as she flaunted what used to be her non-existent cleavage about to pop-out of her clothing. That was when her female best buddy walked out, eyebrows up in the air, saying that “Veggie-pie wouldn’t be bothered.”

Eventually, the big dinner came.

Vega decided to step out early to say hello to Fred’s guests whom she haven’t really met yet (considering that she had been hiding in her room for the half of the day and was completely unsociable the day before), and she couldn’t hide the fact that she was already _hungry_.

She walked around the Grand Hall dressed in that beautiful white version of the knitted black, cleavage-popping ensemble she was wearing to tease her fiancé over Skype earlier, complete with her leggings and a pair of shin-high brown boots. She wore a bolero-style black blazer over it all, with her look accented with this beautiful diamond necklace snug on her chest, one of the engagement gifts Gale gave to her back when she was still in Melbourne.

She found herself talking to some of Pete’s associates, as well as Frank and Allen who were amused and suddenly interested in talking to the “small Asian girl” when they found out that she was working for Way Magazine. Waiting for Max and Mari to turn up, Vega was tempted to start picking on the expensive wines even before the dinner service… when something or _someone_ turned up at the staircase, causing her to turn around and take a second _longer_ look.

He stepped off the grand staircase, still talking to his best friend who was dapper like him as well... but there was something different about him tonight. _Something special._

He was wearing that typical black blazer he often wears to premieres and events, but then he was wearing this crisp, tight-fitting black polo shirt on top of those black slacks and those expensive formal shoes that went with his "to-kill" look. Completely dressed in black, he crossed the hall, causing Vega to stop whatever she was doing, and look in his direction.

As much as she wanted to get on talking, be the life of the party that she never was for the past few days, weeks, or even months... The moment _he_ stepped into the room, she felt as if all the noise was drowned out... and she was reduced from the pale, hung-over little sassy-bitch who was drowning in champagne earlier... into this flushed, desperate, little school girl who looked at him as if a mash-up of Barry White and Lisa Stansfield started to play in her brain, making her sick to her stomach.

“You alright there mate,” Fred said as he stood beside Tom, clapping him on the shoulder.

The man smiled at him nervously, running the tips of his fingers against those pencil-thin lips, smiling once more when he found the courage to laugh. “I t-think, I think I am… I _really_ think I am,” he said as he stuttered nervously.

“Get a hold of yourself, man,” Fred exclaimed, straightening his friend’s collar. “You’ll do fine, and _she’ll_ love you for it.”

“You think so?” Tom asked his friend, looking completely far from that confident scene-stealing figure she saw on the red carpet. And during the entire time, his hand was in his pocket, seemingly playing with an unseen item carefully tucked away from everyone else’s eyes.

“You’re looking sharp, it’s the best night to do it,” Fred affirmed. “You’ll be _fine_.”

As the two men were speaking, their attention were suddenly caught by the appearance of a woman wearing a beautiful floor-length red dress with the slit climbing up her leg, with its strapless laced design clinging to her body with pearls all over her neck. One of the men who were talking near the center of the hall looked so dumbstruck and in love as he approached her on the staircase, giving her a long kiss on the cheek and a whispered compliment that caused the woman to smile brightly up at him, grabbing his face to give him a long smooch on the lips.

Vega turned around, mood clearly fucked up, as she smiled sarcastically at the bartender who was watching the entire scene and said, “Yeah I’d like a whiskey on the rocks please? And thank you.”

 

 

The rest of the night went by fast.

Despite standing out of the crowd with the suited men and the girls dressed up for new years (including a flirty Lia who were surrounded by some of Fred’s associates at the back of the room), Tom was the epitome of graceful style despite the sudden attack of nerves, as he remained silent during dinner, just smiling and holding casual conversation with everyone; as his beautiful girlfriend sat beside him with her hair down, holding engaging discussions with Fred’s old friends and Pete’s associates, including Frank Bristol and Allen Cromwell.

In fact, Beatrice and Allen had quite a heated discussion that could easily be seen as bickering, causing the former’s boyfriend to hold her hand in an attempt to calm her down, after the latter accused her of abandoning their shared Project before she became an Art Gallery Curator. It was great that both Fred and Frank decided to change the topic by discussing that huge loss of funds Miramax were going through at that moment in time.

The girls however, were also part of the dinner, but had a world of their own.

The three were busy discussing the sudden appearance of one of Fred’s associates who turned out to be an underwear model, with the three girls saying that he couldn’t hide those delicious arms even if he had to wear a suit. What kind of irked the girls at that moment is that Mr-Underwear-Model was currently flirting and gathered all around Lia, making Mari laugh so loud with what Max had to comment, that her husband had to hush her down.

The three girls disappeared to the veranda again with two bottles of Ben Nevis.

By the time the nightly festivities were about to start, Fred had to personally visit the trio in the veranda, only to discover them doing a song round-about, having finished a bottle and having halved the other.

“Alright ladies,” he said, raising his eyebrows as the three looked at him – Vega and Mari all in smiles, but Max’s grin suddenly melting into something sarcastic as she looked up the well-dressed man from head to toe. “I’ll be opening the bar for the New Year’s celebrations, how would you like that?”

“OH HECK YES!”

That was Vega speaking, considering that Mari and Max were all just cheers, albeit the latter was a bit cynical with her voice.

So the three decided to leave their hiding place for a while, ordering all the mojitos, margaritas, and cocktails they could get their hands on. Vega even summoned the courage to have a little chat with Lia when she was all alone and her “suitors” were ogling a new set of newcomers whom Fred have invited, some women from his firm who were able to arrive only that night. A band was playing old jazz tunes, some Michael Bublé’s, and Frank Sinatra’s to pass the night away.

Having said goodbye to Lia and returning to her friends who were eyeing that bottle of Talisker at the bar, Vega suddenly turned around when Fred stepped up to the mic, as the band gave way to him, rambling about some sort of announcement.

“Ladies and Gentlemen!” her Scottish friend exclaimed, standing on the podium. “I am honored to have all of you with me – dear friends, associates, and not-so-acquaintances.”

The crowd that has grown from the night before laughed, as Vega looked around, trying to spot some familiar faces in the crowd, seeing Pete’s associates whom she has talked to, and Bea – curiously all alone on a couch, seemingly having paused a discussion with one of Fred’s co-workers.

“I would like to propose a toast,” Fred continued, raising his glass, as he smiled at his guests. “To the prosperous new year and to the changes we are about to make in our lives. For the people who stayed with us and those whom we love dearly…” For some reason, he turned to Bea and smiled. “And for those who are patiently and dearly waiting – hold on to your seats, darlings.” He ended up winking at the woman, who just raised an eyebrow at him and smiled back.

Having finished his speech, Fred smiled at the band singer, whispering something in his ear, before stepping down.

Vega looked around, feeling a sinking ominous feeling in her stomach, despite having quite a hearty meal for dinner – considering she hasn’t been eating that much lately. Whether it’s the loneliness, the missing-the-fiancé, or something else – she didn’t really care right now. It was New Year’s Eve, and she was going to party.

Mari appeared behind her, tapping her shoulder, giving her the first Mojito she would be having for the night.

Taking a sip of the drink, Vega found herself wrinkling her nose, as Max appeared beside her, looking around at the chatting people who seemed to be standing around, waiting for something to happen. “Seems like this drink isn’t strong enough for my taste,” Vega found herself mumbling.

“Ever since we arrived in Cornwall this year, you’ve been turned into an alcoholic,” Max berated her best friend, who just stuck her tongue out at her.

“Is it wrong to love alcohol more than I used to?”

“I really don’t mind,” Max exclaimed, taking a sip of her margarita. “But if you’re just using it as an excuse to say that ‘you forgot everything else that happened at Cornwall’, I’mma smack you when we get back to London.”

As Vega rolled her eyes at her friend, Mari had to hide a sarcastic chuckle as she watched the two bicker. “Oh stop it both of you! It’s such a nice night and it’s New Year’s Eve! Stop being so negative about things –“

The tall brunette was suddenly interrupted when a clamor of whisperings and mumblings erupted from the huge crowd in the Great Hall, as the speakers suddenly blasted a familiar sounding song and every guest in the Manor turned to look at the band, only to be surprised at the band had started to play  a famous tune – but with a new addition.

And with this new face taking the helm of the lead singer, Bea suddenly found herself getting up to her feet and covering her mouth when she realized who was singing.

 

_We were as one, babe_

_For a moment in time_

_And it seemed everlasting_

_That you would always be mine_

_Now you want to be free_

_So I'm letting you fly_

_Cause I know in my heart babe_

_Our love will never die_

_No!_

 

Vega was playing with her straw when she looked around to see what the commotion was about. But seeing who was up on the stage singing, she felt something become untied from her chest as it crashed into her stomach, giving her a sickening feeling. The two girls standing beside her broke into gasps as well, making her wonder why she wasn’t able to recognize the voice when _she always heard that voice break into song during Videoke Nights_ especially if he was singing _The Cure_.

 

_You'll always be a part of me_

_I'm a part of you indefinitely_

_Girl don't you know you can't escape me_

_Darling, cause you'll always be my baby_

 

_And we'll linger on_

_Time can't erase a feeling this strong_

_No way you're never gonna shake me_

_Darling, cause you'll always be my baby_

 

 

Tom was standing in front of the band that was delivering their side of his request, considering the notes and the rehearsal they have been doing in the garden after lunch, when he told Bea that he was just going out for a quick jog. The man would have used his own electric guitar, but he knew that despite his mastery of standing in front of the crowd, he wouldn’t have the courage to string and pluck the instrument as he made his way towards that beautiful woman, blushing at the end of the hall in her red dress and pearls, as he took a small red velvet box out of his blazer pocket.

 

 

_I know that you'll be back girl_

_When your days and your nights get a little bit colder_

_I know that, you'll be right back, babe_

_Baby, believe me it's only a matter of time_

 

 

Mari and Max exchanged shocked looks as they watched him climb down from the stage and approach his pleasantly shocked-looking girlfriend standing at the other end of the hall, with guests watching on with much awe, cheering the man on as he continued singing with the mic in his hand, as he got closer and closer to the love of his life.

As much as they dared to even do it, they both subtly tried to catch a glimpse of Vega, but all the saw was the fact that the girl looked paper-white, watching the entire scene with her own eyes… as she randomly played with her own engagement ring.

 

 

_And we'll linger on_

_Time can't erase a feeling this strong_

_No way you're never gonna shake me_

_Ooh darling cause you'll always be my baby_

_Always be my baby..._

 

 

Tom finishes the song and drops on one knee, much to the cheers and excited squealing of some women in the crowd. But the three ladies standing in front of the bar were just frozen in disbelief as they watched him take Beatrice’s hand and whisper softly to his lover.

 

“Beatrice-Cohen Wright…” he exclaimed, closing his eyes for a bit. “You have made me happy during the days when I believed that I was at my lowest, and you have seen me at my best. I want my days to be spent with you… and only you. There is nothing more my heart could ever wish for.”

 

Taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes, Tom opened the box, revealing a majestic diamond ring.

“Would you do me the honor of marrying me?”

 

The crowd gasped once again.

Bea looked down at the man with those beautiful doe eyes, her luscious red lips parted in complete surprise. Her expression softening as she tugged on Tom’s hands, asking him to stand up to his full height… She looked into those stunning sapphire eyes, before she took his face in his hands and kissed him passionately in the middle of the crowd of about thirty people.

As the crowd cheered, it felt as if all sound was drained from Vega’s head as she raised the glass of mojito to her lips… and downed the entire concoction with one gulp. Exhaling long after that quick episode with the glass, she found herself poking the wall of her mouth with her tongue, as she tapped her hands impatiently on the glass… She found herself looking around as if the room was slowly growing quiet, spinning around, and going bright. Swinging out of the way as Max tried to touch her arm; she stepped gracefully towards the bar and gingerly left the glass that used to be filled with mojito before turning towards the veranda.

“Vey –“

She turned around to find Max hot on her tail.

 “I’m finishing what’s left of the Talisker,” she said weakly, before turning on her heels to make her way for their veranda.

“VEGA WAIT –”

As the two girls hurried after their friend, they didn’t notice that amidst all the clapping, Bea managed to disengage from her kiss with the man who just asked for her hand in marriage, as she smiled to everyone around her… before silently tugging at her lover’s hand as they made their way towards another separate veranda from the Great Hall.

 

 

***

 

 

“Vega, give me the bottle of Talisker –“

“Just one shot –“

“Vega, just hand it over –“

“I JUST WANT ONE SHOT –“

 

Max had to wrench the bottle out of the girl’s hands, only for Vega to accidentally push her shot glass off the table. As a loud resounding crack echoed through the veranda, the woman had gotten up to her feet and was staring at the broken pieces as if she was in a trance.

“Vega…” Mari said worriedly, holding her hands together, trying to approach the girl, but she suddenly raised her hand – causing the taller brunette to stop in her tracks.

“I…” she struggled to find her words as she looked at both of her friends – Max looking at her with shock, while Mari was seemingly itching to take her in her arms and encapsulate her with a long embrace. But Vega wanted none of that right now. She wanted to stand there and stare at the broken shot glass… the urge to break another one was somewhat nipping at the back of her head. “I just wanted another shot…”

“You’ve already had too much,” Max said flatly, moving the Talisker out of her reach. “You can’t –“

Suddenly choking out a small sob – Vega managed to get a hold of herself upon hearing it, completely surprised with her outburst of her emotions, as she covered her mouth with a free hand. Raising her other hand in Mari’s face, stopping her from rushing to her side, and suddenly swerving it in front of Max’s face – in case the woman attempted to do the same… Vega slowly backed away from her friends who looked at her as if she was about to fall off a plank.

“I—I’m going to go for a walk,” she managed to whisper with a shaky voice… as she turned around and made her way towards the stairs connected to their veranda, that led all the way into the lighted hedges of the Labyrinth – specially lit up for that New Year.

Once she has disappeared in the darkness, the two girls found themselves exchanging glances in silence – completely shocked with the turn of events.

“My God,” Max exclaimed as she sank onto the bench. “This night is a disaster.”

“Should we follow her?” Mari said nervously, wringing her hands.

Max pushed her own shot glass away and shook her head. “I think it’s best to leave her alone,” she looked back at the hedges, eyes squinted. “Who knows, that woman may end up hurting herself or one of us with that pent up anger…”

“Oh,” Mari mused worriedly, pacing on the spot. “She might end up doing something –“

They were in the middle of their worried discussion, when light on the separate veranda across theirs (also enclosed by a small wall) suddenly filled the spot and two tall figures marched in – cutting their discussion short. As Mari turned around to see who it was, she suddenly had to duck underneath their own veranda’s banisters, motioning to Max who dropped to a crouch, to stay down.

As the two people on the other veranda began to talk, Mari slowly moved back towards Max who found a blind angle in their spot, that couldn’t be seen on the other. As they lay hidden, they could hear the soft whispers and the discussion that was being held over the other open space.

“Is that –“ Max suddenly whispered to her other friend, when Mari suddenly shushed him.

“ _It’s Tom and Bea_ , keep quiet!” Mari hissed at her.

As the two girls raised their heads slightly to make of what was happening on the other side of the manor, they could barely make out the words despite their actions speaking louder than what would have been said.

The two lovers were sharing a silent conversation, and with Bea’s back to the two girl’s line of sight, all they could see is the crestfallen expression painted on the man’s face. The two girls hidden behind the banisters sported furrowed eyebrows as they tried to catch anything being said between the two supposedly newly-engaged couple, but they could barely make anything Beatrice was saying.

The woman in red tilted her head, causing Tom to back away from her a bit, looking around as he ran a hand down his newly-shaven face, with it resting upon his mouth as the woman looked back up at him to place a hand upon her breast, smoothing out the red lace that wrapped her chest, as her face contorted with deep emotions as she spoke about something that made Tom close his eyes.

Retrieving her hand from her chest, Bea raised it to touch Tom’s cheek… as the man removed his hand from his face to hold hers…

She leans forward and tiptoes a bit to kiss him… as she gently pushed back the velvet box into his hands.

Upon disengaging, the girls saw Bea whisper something in Tom’s ear, before she gently released her hands from his face… as she eventually left the veranda. Tom stood staring at the space where the woman stood earlier, as if he saw a ghost… as he turned the velvet box around in his hands.

“That’s…” Max whispered. “That doesn’t seem good…”

“Shhhh,” Mari shot back, trying to pull both of them down.

The man stood staring at a corner, with a face no one can comfort or cheer up, as he stayed there frozen for another minute or so… before he slowly pocketed the velvet box… and turned around. Walking towards the stairs that went down the garden and into the Labyrinth, the man placed his hands on the banisters first, leaning over as he bent his head… before slowly moving to descend into the garden.

Neither of the two lovers saw Mari and Max watching with wide eyes on the blind spot on their side of the veranda.

“I told you, this night is fucked up,” Max hissed back at Mari as the two slowly stood up when they were sure that Tom was completely out of sight.

“I know,” Mari said softly. “Let’s just hope that things will be different when the New Year comes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, this was actually one whole chapter with Chapter 32, BUT I JUST HAD TO SPLIT IT BECAUSE IT CONSISTS OF TWENTY-THREE PAGES, MOTHER OF CHRIST. Tom’s Proposal song is David Cook’s “Always Be My Baby” AND I FUCKING SWEAR I WILL BE A PUDDLE ON THE FLOOR IF THAT MAN EVER – Ugh. UGH. Anyway, about “Always Be My Baby”... if you listen closely, it’s not actually a suitable proposal song, since it talks about a man setting his lover free and promising to love them still. _**Doesn’t that premise sound too familiar?**_ ARE YOU FUCKING SURE THIS SONG IS FOR BEA, THOMAS?!!


	32. For Auld Lang Syne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's New Year's Eve and there are two broken hearts lost in the Labyrinth. Anything could happen.

_“All guests! Let me invite you towards the Labyrinth where we will broadcast the countdown towards the New Year! Grab your partners and look up at the strike of twelve to see our prepared Fireworks show! Thank you!”_

 

The Labyrinth was naturally dark and the perfect setting for a horror movie on a normal day.

But that New Year, certain paths are lighted to lead to the five main gazebos and smaller hangouts in the various clearings of the maze, complete with traditional yarn and fabric rolls stationed at the entrances for guests to hold on to in case they would get lost.

Hearing Fred’s voice as he announced the event for the New Year that was to take place in the maze, Vega already found herself in the darkness of one of the smaller gazebos… randomly peeking through her iPhone's messages, in hopes that she’d get anything from her fiancé. But considering that the man may still be in bed and they already talked earlier during lunch, Vega could only randomly wipe away those unwanted tears as she looked through the darkness… waiting for the sky to be lit up with fireworks to signal the New Year.

But the moment other guests filled in the winding passages of the Labyrinth, a rowdy couple who were busy necking stumbled into Vega’s mini-gazebo… falling down on the carpeted floor as they nipped and sucked on each other’s necks, causing the woman to wrinkle her nose and evacuate the scene in disgust when she realized that the couple didn’t know that they were not alone.

Wandering aimlessly through the winding paths, Vega ran her hand through the hedges as she randomly thought about a certain happy couple who were probably celebrating right now in some _random_ gazebo with happy kisses and toasts to the new year… while she miserably thought how pretty she was that night, and she probably ruined her makeup with her disgusting crying that made no sense to her at all.

That was when Vega found _the Gazebo_.

It was different when she first saw it in the pouring rain, and it was different when she saw it the other day in the afternoon light. Despite the surrounding hedges being lit up with beautiful white and yellow lights… the rest of the structure remained dark. Smirking at the tall white architecture, Vega silently berated it for mocking her with memories she didn’t want to hold on to. But seeing as its empty and it’s the only place she can hide into that night, she figured that despite its disgusting nostalgic symbolism… it’s better that she stay there and remain unseen for the rest of the night.

Running her hands against the white railings, as if she touched them for the last time, fond of them and hateful of them for the _same reason_ … she peered through the darkness, trying to find a couch or a bench to sit on.

She had barely placed a foot inside the structure, when she swore she saw someone shift against the shadows.

Gasping, Vega backed off and quickly exclaimed, “I’m sorry! I didn’t know this was occupied!” She quickly turned around to exit, muttering, “I’ll be going now, sorry again –“

“Vega?”

The voice was too small, too hushed, that the girl had to turn around and squint through her lenses to look back inside the gazebo to find out who it was. And when she did, she looked at him with surprise she can’t even describe.

“Tom?” she said, squinting through her lenses. “This is quite a surprise,” she said suddenly, blinking, glad that it was dark. She had no way she could hide those swollen eyelids, the slightly smudged eyeshadow and the bitter expression her face was currently wearing. “You must be with company, I think I better leave you –“

His voice that spoke up was strained, without power, and weak. “It’s alright,” he whispered. “ _I_ _am alone_.”

The girl found herself gripping the railings as she stood there, thinking of what to do… whether she would leave the man alone, or to take that seat in the darkness knowing that he’d probably be far away from her. But she was relieved that all she could see was darkness because surely, she knew she couldn’t face him right now. Especially with how he was dressed up with his black ensemble… Vega found herself twitching her lips with how her thoughts were running in her head as she shifted in her place, rubbing her boots against each other as she stood at the entrance.

She could see his silhouette against the bright white lights surrounding the hedges turn in her direction as he exclaimed, “Aren’t you coming in?”

The girl sniffed, feeling a bit unwelcome in the area. Considering that she could find another place to wait for the fireworks, she could go on her way. But then she remembered the rowdy guests and their kinky girlfriends…

 “Only if it’s okay…”

There was silence and then she heard him sigh.

“ _Of course_ it’s alright,” Tom’s voice was a bit squeaky and high-pitched, something she’s not used to, considering his deep baritone and that smooth delivery that had him as the envy of all the voice actors in the business. “Misery loves company after all.”

Blinking in the darkness, she eventually saw how he occupied one lone sofa chair in front of the ornate glass table, as he was surrounded by three empty seats of the same kind, with two separate sofa-benches littering both sides of the wide structure. Vega slowly moved towards the sofa chair that was nearest to the exit, giving her a clear view of the sky and the clearing the surrounded the gazebo… even if it was almost right next to the chair Tom was sitting in.

Having settled herself, the entire Gazebo was swallowed in awkward silence as its two inhabitants refused to utter another word.

“That was some proposal,” Vega said, clearing her throat a bit, trying to break the long uncomfortable pause. Once again she was thankful for the darkness, since it hid away the blank expression on her face. “You sure knocked the crowd out with that one, especially your fiancée,” she whispered, the words tasting bitter on her tongue. “Congratulations.”

Tom remained silent as he drew his blazer around him in the cold, pocketing his hands as usual.

“There was no proposal to speak of, as a matter of fact,” he said in a businesslike manner, his tone crisp and cold. “Bea did not like it.”

The ice cold tone felt as if the temperature around her dropped uncomfortably, as the woman ended up drawing her bolero around her shoulders as well, feeling horrible altogether. Not just for the situation, but for her friend. “I’m sorry…” she suddenly exclaimed, as she turned to look at him, wanting to find a trace of any expression on his face even if they were both swallowed in the dark…

But all she received was a sigh.

Bowing her head, there was a little voice in her head that seemed to exclaim how relieved she was, but it was drowned out by that feeling of remorse, bitterness, and sympathy as she almost sat beside her good friend of ten years whose wedding proposal was just seemingly shot down. And Vega felt ashamed to be sitting beside Tom considering that she was wearing her own engagement ring on her hand… as she played with it anxiously while she thought of something to say.

“But that was a really romantic proposal though,” she whispered softly, looking out into the night sky. She could still hear some announcements from the distance in the McAllister manor, but with the silence that they were sharing in the gazebo, everything seems to be drowned out. “Makes any girl in her right mind that giddy.”

To her surprise, Tom suddenly laughed. Even if it was a chuckle, it sounded very sarcastic.

“Such a shame it was a carefully planned plot,” he exclaimed softly. “But it doesn’t really matter now.”

The girl blew a gust of breath out of her mouth, feeling disturbed and hopeless of clearing the tension in the air. But to her surprise, Tom chuckled once more.

“I bet Gale’s wedding proposal was more romantic than what you have seen tonight,” he exclaimed.

The girl turned around, her eyes having to slowly adjust in the darkness. She found him looking at her, as she can slowly make out the details on his face, and how sad it looked. She summoned the courage to flash him a small grin and whispered back, “No buddy. You broke the record.”

She can barely saw Tom’s reaction in the darkness, but she was sure that she heard him laugh.

Because of that, Vega found herself chuckling too.

They shared a bit of comforting silence as they suddenly hear voices near the hedges, as the booming sound of an announcer’s voice could be heard throughout the entire Labyrinth.

 

“ _Welcome to the McAllister Manor Labyrinth! We are ten minutes to midnight! Grab a loved one and don’t try to lose them in the maze! We’re starting the countdown in nine minutes!”_

 

Vega suddenly found herself straightening up in her seat, as she realized that anytime soon… other guests might find the main clearing in the maze, and her silent refuge would be filled with chattering people, canoodling couples, and that fact that she would be found alone in a gazebo with a man who was supposedly betrothed to another woman before the night ends –

“Hey,” she suddenly heard Tom’s voice in the darkness. “If you’re uncomfortable here in the darkness, you can leave.”

She turned to him, a bit of confusion and pain in her eyes, but considering the very faint expression she could see on his face – it turned out that he wasn’t really shooing her away, but he was just responding to the sudden flash of anxiety that he may have felt from the girl when she suddenly sat up. _Somehow,_ Vega thought. _Thain can still sense when I’m horribly uncomfortable. That’s a relief._

 _“_ There are other clearings and gazebos other guests could occupy,” he whispered in the darkness. “If you do want to leave, just make sure to follow the lights. You don’t want to get lost… and I’m sorry if I couldn’t accompany you. I--” she heard him pause. “I just want to be alone for the meantime.”

The girl shrugged, feeling a bit off, as she leaned back against her chair, refusing to look at the man.

Despite saying those words, Vega wasn’t able to turn and see that calculating look in the man’s eyes as he watched her in the darkness, seemingly waiting for her to move… or simply, something to happen.

“I want to be alone too,” she whispered as she looked at the ceiling of the gazebo. “Can’t we be alone together?”

She couldn’t see it, but she heard Tom chuckle.

She probably even missed out on the small smile that appeared on his lips.

 

 

“ _Five minutes till midnight!_ ”

 

 

Tom eventually stretched out those mile long legs and gently settled them on the glass coffee table, as the two of them were sporting the same position on their chairs – staring at the ceiling. A little bit more and you could say that both were probably sleeping comfortably on their own chairs, as if they were so tired and emotionally compromised to even move and exit the Labyrinth so they can retreat to their respective rooms.

“Has your fiancé called tonight?”

Vega turned to her right to face him and winced. “Well yes,” she whispered, answering his question. But then she looked back up, a filter of sadness appearing on her face. “But that was hours ago, even before dinner started.”

Tom scoffed. “That’s a shame,” he answered, putting his hands behind his head. “You look pretty tonight.”

Vega wrinkled her nose. “Thanks,” she started. “I’d be flattered, but I would say that you shouldn’t patronize me.” She then turned her head to face her friend. “It’ll take a toll on you.”

The thespian who was still trying to recover from his sudden bout of depression turned to look at her and smiled, before emitting a laughter that was laced with even more sarcasm. But he couldn’t help but admit that somehow… _this girl_ was making him feel a little bit lighter than how he was down in the dumps earlier, after everything he had done.

Sighing, Vega said, “I’m not doing my job as your good friend.” She frowned and looked up at the dark ceiling, trying to compose the words she wanted to tell him in her head. “I should have been congratulating you earlier, and I should be comforting you right now, but I am far too drunk and acquainted with various versions of an 1865 whiskey up to even think straight…”

Smirking, the woman then said, “But let me make it up to you this time.”

Tom made an expression akin to surprise and resolve upon hearing her words. To think about it, they haven’t had a conversation this long or this meaningful ever since they arrived in Cornwall. Somehow, he was relieved that they were talking again. Even if the sad thing about it was, Vega only started talking to him just when he thought the universe crashed on his entire being…

“I’m not going to tell you that you deserve better,” Vega suddenly spoke up, her voice quiet but clear. “I’m not going to tell you that there are other fish in the sea, I’m not going to tell you any of that shit.”

Tom blinked at the sudden sharpness of her tone.

The girl then exhales to his surprise. “But what I can tell you one thing,” she spoke again. “I’ll be here. You don’t have to say anything.” Vega paused as she slightly turned her head to the side to take a glimpse of the stars up in the December night sky. “Let me be the friend you expected but never had.”

The man slightly closed his eyes, savoring the words she just said. As much as he didn’t expect receiving such comfort from someone like Vega that night, and he felt like he had to compensate with whatever he had in his hands after the disaster he just went through… he somehow appreciated the relief the woman was providing him. It somehow made his broken heart feel lighter.

“Thanks,” he whispered, subtly looking in her direction, only to find her eyes fixed on the ceiling.

The girl smiled, without looking at him.

 

 

_“The Countdown is about to begin! Everyone gather round! Hold a loved one in your arms! The New Year is just around the corner!”_

 

 

The two swore they were about to sink into sleep, when suddenly a clamor was heard from the hedges, and two individuals suddenly burst through the clearing with the Great Gazebo was stationed, causing Vega to raise her head and for Tom to raise an eyebrow.

_“Don’t touch me!”_

Hearing that familiar female voice, Tom suddenly sat up as he peered outside the structure, holding his breath when he suddenly found Beatrice in her long beautiful flowing gown, locked in a heated argument with another man – who turned out to be Allen Cromwell.

_“Bea, can you just please listen to me?!”_

 

 

**_“Ten!”_ **

**_“Nine!”_ **

 

 

Vega suddenly turned to Tom who watched the scene with squinted eyes, despite not wanting to emerge from his hiding place. The woman who sat beside him was definitely uncomfortable too, but she just turned her head and watched what was to become of this little squabble between Tom’s supposed fiancée and her associate.

 

 

**“ _Seven!_ ”**

 

 

Bea stood in the clearing, unaware that the Gazebo was occupied with two pairs of prying eyes.

She stood in front of the blonde man, who seemingly tried to reason out with her, trying to hold her shoulder, as she managed to shrug off his touch. The man then winced and looked away, saying something to the extent of _“You never listened to me”_ and _“How could you throw everything away”_ … causing the woman to raise her hand and place her palm underneath his chin, forcing Allen to face her.

 

 

**_“Five!”_ **

 

 

The countdown seemed like an eternity, as Vega and Tom remained concealed in the darkness, painfully watching the two trespassers on the clearing surrounding the Gazebo, still in a heated discussion.

 _“Why didn’t you tell me?”_ They heard Bea’s voice. _“You never told me!”_

 _“You think I have a chance up against that man?!”_ Allen shot back, pointing in a distance.

Vega found herself dropping her jaw when she had the pieces of the puzzle put in her head. She turned to face Tom, only to find the man has slinked down his seat, refusing to watch the scene even further, as tears began to well in his eyes.

_“Bea, you couldn’t do this to me –“_

 

 

**_“Four!”_ **

**_“Three!”_ **

 

 

Vega suddenly gasped, covering her mouth.

The woman in red suddenly stepped forward and grabbed the blonde man standing in front of her and enclosed his mouth in a passionate liplock, as Allen Cromwell found himself wrapping his arms around Beatrice Cohen-Wright’s waist as he found himself tangling his fingers into her long black hair…

Jaw still unhinged, she turned around to see what her friend had to say, only to find the man sitting beside her gripping his seat in fury, as he looked away, wincing in pain – refusing to see the developments of the scene that was laid out in front of them.

“Tom –“

For some reason, Vega found her own heart breaking as she stood in the middle of the carnage, as she saw Tom fold up in his seat, cradling his head in his hands, seemingly wanting to shut out the rest of the world –

 

 

 

**_“One!!!”_ **

 

 

 

Vega suddenly found herself silently rising from the leather-bound seat as she walked towards her friend, ignoring the cheers and yells all over the Manor, as she approached the man bent over himself; hiding his tears in the darkness of the gazebo. She found herself wrinkling her eyebrows in apprehension and concern as she looked at the man who sat heartbroken and alone at the stroke of the New Year…

Unnoticed by the world, by the guests, by their friends left in the Manor… and by the two people who were having their own moment in the Gazebo… Vega looked down and saw a man whose heart just broke into pieces at the start of the New Year. An ominous start, one would say… but the more Vega looked at Tom, the more she feared for him and wished she could do something to stop him from hurting.

Placing her hands on his shoulders, she suddenly found herself gliding her fingers down his lapels as the man lifted his tear-stained face in surprise to look at her…

Never has she felt sorry for him before. All the anger, all the frustration, and everything she wanted to scream at him – for mocking her and Max in the flat, for mocking her dress, her choices, her fiancé… For making her feel things she never wanted to feel again… And involuntarily breaking her heart when she thought he could never touch it anymore… As she watched him sitting there crestfallen, Vega realized that there is no one who would be so unlucky at that moment, but Tom himself. And at that moment, she was somewhat guilty that she was relieved that she wasn’t him… but still, there was this nagging, aching feeling within her as she saw as he looked up at her when she dug her fingers into his blazer.

Vega wasn’t thinking before, and she wasn’t thinking now… It would have probably been the amount of alcohol she has been drinking all day and all night, but to her it didn’t matter anymore. Sitting on the flat leather arm of the seat where Tom was bent over himself, she released a hand from his coat and lifted his face up to meet hers… and she wasn’t thinking anymore when she leaned down and pressed those soft lips against his.

Tom just found himself closing his eyes as his head suddenly shut out the loud fireworks that were exploding over their heads, as he felt Vega’s hands release his lapels and travel up his face, cupping his well-defined chin with her small hands as she slowly parted her lips to sink her mouth deeper against his… Enabling the man to slightly open his mouth to generously accept the way she smeared her lower lip against the crook of his mouth.

He felt his breathing hitch as his face was suddenly flushed with an emotion he never thought he’d feel again after _that_ night at Eureka… Or something he made himself to _never_ feel again… as his hands released themselves from the leather cushion and slowly found themselves clutching the woman’s arms, as he brought a hand to gently touch her cheek…

Nuzzling her nose fondly against his tear-stained cheeks, Vega attempted to deepen her kiss when she suddenly felt herself sigh when she felt his fingers brush against her face… causing the man to suddenly disengage when he realized who he was kissing… his eyes slowly opening to peer against hers, as she struggled to take a grip of the surface she was sitting on.

Drowning in surprise and an influx of so many emotions he could feel at the same time, Tom found himself peering up at Vega’s face that was drowning with an emotion even his heart of his head cannot decipher, when he suddenly found himself running his thumb against the woman’s lower lip…

 

And that’s when it clicked.

He was kissing that shy girl who refused to look into his eyes back in his flat.

He was liplocking with that woman whom he pined after for ten years.

The often shy and scared girl he considered his _sister_ …

Who eventually rejected his advances and got engaged to another man.

And to aggravate the sudden outburst of conflicted feelings brewing in his chest…

Tom realized that _it was Vega_ who made the first move.

 

He suddenly found himself gripping her shoulders as he sat her firmly against the arm of his chair. The girl was suddenly stiff and rigid in his hands, considering that he just sank his fingers in her clothes, clutching her as if she was a robber about to run away with his most prized possession.

“Why –“ those were the words that croaked out of his mouth as he found himself looking around the clearing, the fireworks still blasting in his ears, realizing that Beatrice and Allen have already left the area. “Why are you –“

There was a bit of uncertainty in Vega’s eyes and a pang of pain that suddenly seared through her chest as she peered inside her friend’s blue sapphire eyes being swallowed by the darkness.

“I got her off your mind, didn’t I?” those glistening lips spoke. “You’re welcome.”

Tom suddenly gasped as he pulled her close, flush against his chest again – as Vega’s eyes suddenly widened with his sudden change of demeanor, as the man stared blankly and hungrily at her lips… an expression that she hasn’t seen from him ever since that night at the Eureka Tower.

“You didn’t –“ he stuttered, his eyes still fixed on her face. “You couldn’t –“

Tom had to tear his eyes from her as he painfully winced, rising from his chair. Balling his fists as he got on to his feet, suddenly realizing how wobbly his knees were after sitting in that position… He suddenly realized how one kiss rendered him so… feeble.

“I’ve got to go,” he suddenly whispered before walking out of the Gazebo, not even looking back.

The woman he left behind slowly sank down the sofa-chair, the seat still warm. Staring at her friend’s back as he stalked away from her, a sudden realization formed over Vega’s head that swallowed her whole… engulfing her in shame and embarrassment… after realizing what she _just did…_

Balancing her elbow on an extended knee, Vega began to repeatedly palm her face as she sat alone in the Gazebo, repeating a statement like a mantra of shame…

 

“What the fuck did I do?”

“What the fuck did I do?”

**“What the fuck did I _just_ do?!”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “For Auld Lang Syne”… For the sake of old times. Right Thain? Right Aeo? The title is just perfect for New Year’s… and what exactly happened when the clock struck twelve. This chapter puts a whole new meaning to the Gazebo after everything that happened in that Labyrinth.


	33. #CornwallSucksPart2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the New Year, people are drunk, and things have been done the day before. But Vega couldn't help but admit that Cornwall has a constant phenomenon of screwing up all the trips she has ever been to. And this time, it's just the worst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm releasing this chapter early in Honor of The Great Liferuiner's 33rd Birthday... but I couldn't dedicate this chapter to Tom because... you'll find out why. Maybe I'll dedicate another chapter to him. Something worthy. Hope you guys enjoy.
> 
> Trigger Warning: Self-harm.

Vega woke up the next morning not remembering _anything_ that happened the night before, as she literally got up and tripped on three bottles of wine that were deliberately standing at the foot of her bed.

It was followed by a tremendous headache that eventually brought all the fucked up memories of New Year’s Eve flowing back into the woman’s mind, as she literally held her head as she sat on the foot of her bed, drinking water for the first thirty minutes after she woke up.

But as she went out of her room to get more water (after wondering where Max went), she was about to descend the grand staircase, when she literally had to duck out of sight and backtrack when she realized that her way was blocked by a bunch of suitcases and a tall man who was standing still on the middle landing.

Clutching her glass jug, Vega had to hold on to the lower wooden railing as she peeked silently past it, watching Tom standing forlornly in front of a packed and fully-dressed Bea… who held his face and tiptoed to give his cheek a kiss before whispering something in his ear. She couldn’t see the man’s face but he closed his eyes the moment the woman was done speaking, as Bea gave him a lingering look before turning around and descending the staircase, her baggage in tow.

The man watched her walk away, as she headed for the door, taking her coat from a representative of the housekeeping cluster. When she was gone… he slowly sank down, finding a seat on the steps as he stared at his shoes.

Rising from her hiding place, Vega tried to get a grip of her slightly drunk self that wanted to make her way down the staircase barefoot and comfort her heartbroken roommie sitting on the steps…

But suddenly remembering _what she did on the other hand_ the night before... Vega found herself backing away from Tom, wishing and hoping that he wouldn’t notice her presence at all… When she suddenly felt like slipping on her toes –

She thought she was done for with that simple misstep, when she felt someone grab her by the arm and pull her out of sight, whispering a soft “Shhh!” in her ear.

 

 

***

 

 

“Could you believe it?” Mari exclaimed as she brought over the breakfast that one of the household helps brought up and placed it in front of a non-plussed Vega whose empty glass jug sat on the floor beside her. “Tom and Bea broke up!”

“So they cancelled the engagement too –“

“There was no engagement to speak of in the first place!” Mari exclaimed, looking really surprised. “Bea didn’t want to get married at all!”

Chewing on a piece of pancake on the breakfast tray Mari brought up for her, Vega found herself pointing a fork at her friend who sat on the other edge of the bed, drinking milk. “You mean she did not want to get married –“

“—to Tom,” Mari finished, her voice faltering as Vega held a vacant expression as she looked at her friend, continually chewing the pancakes in her mouth. “The poor man,” Mari’s voice trailed on in the room that only had the two of them, considering that Pete took a little jog around the manor after their breakfast in bed. “He must be truly crestfallen.”

Vega found herself randomly poking the inner wall of her cheek with her tongue when she’s deep in thought. With the influence of alcohol still running in her veins, giving her a glorious migraine, her mind remained blank even after almost an hour after waking up, and nothing seems to be registering in her mind… except for the fact that she just witnessed first-hand, a man being rejected for his promise of love and affections in the most heartbreaking way possible. And what made Vega feel awful, was the fact that _she truly felt sorry for Tom_.

 _Don’t say that your hands are clean, Vega_ , she told herself as she swallowed those over-chewed pancakes. _You did sort of commit the same sort of crime to the same man a year ago…_

Mari then turned to Vega, puzzlement in her face. “It’s such a shame, they were such a sweet couple,” she muttered, subtly observing Vega’s expressions. “And Tom is quite the catch too… I wonder what made her change her mind?”

The events that happened outside the Gazebo the previous night replayed in Vega’s mind.

“Something must have happened New Year’s Eve…” the Asian woman mumbled as she took another bite of her breakfast. But suddenly remembering that momentary twinkle in Tom’s eyes after she held his face _following the events_ between Bea and that Cromwell guy at the clearing… Vega felt like swallowing her breakfast whole. “But honestly – beats me.”

Mari clucked her tongue. “Tom’s in such a rough patch lately,” she said worriedly, playing with her hair as she set her glass of milk down on Vega’s almost empty breakfast tray. “Poor Thain. That’ll take a toll on him.”

Unresponsive, Vega just sighed and cut off another piece of her pancakes.

“Oh yea,” Mari piped up again. ‘I was wondering – what happened to you last night?”

Vega turned to look at her friend with the fork halfway into her mouth, making her wish she could choke on the silverware as well – if she had to answer that question. But while she was trying to think of an alibi that would clear her conscience of her knowledge _about everything that transpired at the Gazebo_ at midnight… the door suddenly creaked open.

Max appeared at the doorstep, looking more wasted than Vega has ever been.

Her hair was a lush mess, she was still wearing last night’s clothes, and she has a glass of dissolved antacid in her hand. What made things worse was, her eyes were still red, puffy, and swollen.

“Maxi –“ Mari said worriedly as she stepped up and took the other girl in her arms, with their other friend still sitting cross-legged on the bed, painfully chewing her pancakes. “Oh sweetie, are you alright now?”

Vega looked up at her roommie, completely looking puzzled to why she looked as if she was run over by a truck after it made her cry. Raising an eyebrow, she just decided to not say a word as Max unlatched herself painfully from Mari’s embrace, crossed the room and took a seat on the bed next to Vega, still remaining silent the entire time.

Turning her head to face her friend, Vega swallowed what’s in her mouth. “What happened to you?”

Max turned to Vega and gave her the same vacant blank look she has been wearing ever since she woke up that morning. Feeling a bit horrified, Vega just raised both of her eyebrows and returned the questioning gaze on her plate.

“Ever since you disappeared yesterday, things have happened,” Mari explained, sighing as she picked up the milk from the tray once more, taking the seat across them. “When we moved to the Labyrinth for the Countdown, I was about to look for Pete and Max here wanted to help me find him –“

“I don’t want to talk about this,” Max said crossly.

“But Vega has to know!” Mari exclaimed, as Vega started listening with open ears. “And then when we got a little bit lost in the Labyrinth, we were glad to run into Fred and –“

“I don’t wanna hear this –“

“- We found him being kissed by that girl who was at the Bahz Luhrman premiere… What’s her name again?”

Vega almost ended up unhinging her jaw and spitting out whatever she was eating when she heard that. She turned to look at Max who was now frowning, arms crossed as she looked at the carpeted floor of the room. “LIA KISSED FRED?!” the smaller brunette burst.

“UGH,” Max finally exploded, almost knocking her glass of antacid off the tray. “WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED? LIKE ITS NO BIG DEAL REALLY – FRED HAS A LOT OF WOMEN, AND I BET THIS LIA IS ONE OF THEM. AND HE’S JUST A FUCKING DISGUSTING MAN-WHORE WHO CAN’T BE TRUSTED AT ANY TIME AND…” She suddenly paused to wipe a tear that suddenly dropped her eye, as she sniffed and clutched her hands till they turned into fists.

Blinking once, Vega only said these words, “If you didn’t care, then why are you so angry?”

Max sniffled once, looking back at her, horrified. “I-I’m not angry –“

“Max sweetie,” the oldest brunette in the room sighed, palming her face. “You slapped Baldain in the face last night.”

“WELL IF HE WAS NOT SUCH A BIG MAN-SLUT THEN HE WOULDN’T HAVE GOTTEN HIMSELF IN THAT KIND OF COCK-SHIT,” the woman shot back, nostrils flaring in anger. “HIS FUCKING FACE DESERVES IT!”

“Max calm down –“

Suddenly realizing how she completely lost her temper, Max whimpered a bit, before backing away towards the door, her hands shaking. “I’m-I’m I—sorry—, I—“ She just ended up shaking her head before she yanked the door open and went out, slamming it behind her.

Making a face akin to someone constipated, Vega wrinkled her nose and turned to Max.

“ _Man slut?_ ” she exclaimed, surprised with the number expletives that escaped her roommate’s mouth.

Taking a sip of her milk, Mari tried to remain calm. “Fred kissed Max last night too you know,” she said softly.

Vega knew she would never be able to pick that jaw off the floor.

“Say what now –“

The taller brunette closed her eyes and sighed. “The moment he found us staring at him being grabbed and smothered by that woman in the garden, he yanked her face away and apologized to us both. Well unfortunately,” Mari exclaimed palming her face. “Max was the one who first pulled me away, saying that she’s going back to the Manor the moment we find Pete, since the countdown was starting. We barely even left the maze and Fred had gone through a shortcut and was blocking our way. He suddenly grabbed Max who started pushing him away, before he suddenly grabbed her face and gave her this big, wet, beautiful smack on the lips.”

“Really?!” Vega said, disbelievingly, her eyes widening, with a smile forming on her face. “About time  –“

“And then Max pushed him back and smacked him on the face with her hand.”

Whistling low, Vega was hiding a satisfied smirk as she finished what’s left of her pancakes, seemingly entertained by the entire exchange, sort of hailing Max in her head with her revelry and the fact that Fred finally made a move _after all those years_.

“It’s just hilarious how Max is acting,” Vega said sniggering. “It’s entertaining – though don’t get me wrong, that’s pretty rude and childish.”

Mari smiled into her glass as she eyed the woman sitting on her bed warily. “Oh Vega,” she mused. “Vega, Vega, Vega. My sister Aeoren. Don’t judge Maxine that way – you’re no different.”

The woman’s smiled disappeared as she silently placed her fork down on the round plate, wincing a bit as she twitched the side of her lip, contemplating whether she would laugh or sarcastically groan. But upon hearing Mari say that “she’s no different”, she suddenly remembers how she took _someone’s_ face last night and kissed _them_ probably with the same ardor of how Fred took Max’s lips against his.

“Don’t –“ she exclaimed, eyes drooping. “Don’t say that.”

 

 

***

 

 

Before lunch, Vega was lucky enough to avoid any other company as she went back to her room so she could finish packing.

However, the tension in her room had somehow mounted when she thought it was empty… As she saw Max, who was still clearly in a bad mood, move from lying down on their shared bed to the room’s small veranda, wanting to be alone.

Shrugging to herself and realizing those remarks that she just dropped which completely revealed the true nature of Max’s emotions, she decided to leave her alone before she breathes fire down her neck once more.

However, when Vega was preparing to move their heavy bags down the hall for their departure (and probably the housekeeping to aid them in bringing them to the van), she was interrupted by shouting coming from outside the hall - causing her to press her ear against the master’s suite door.

“MATE, GET A GRIP OF YOURSELF –“

“NO REALLY, YOU HAVE OUTDONE YOURSELF THIS TIME, THOMAS! HOW DARE YOU SLEEP WITH LIARA –“

Eyes widening in complete shock, Vega retracted her ears from the wooden door, took a deep breath and quickly yanked the door open… only to find the two men standing in front of each other with their chests puffed out, and Fred clutching Tom’s collar as if he was about to pummel the man in the face. However, upon the sound of the door to the Master’s suite creaking open, the two men suddenly paused in their little squabble – causing both to look in Vega’s direction in shock.

“Jesus,” she exclaimed, furrowing her eyebrows as she glared at the two of them. “GO AHEAD AND MAKE A RACKET! THIS HAS SO GOTTEN OUT OF HAND!!!”

Tom was the first one to wrench off Fred’s hold on his collar, shrugging his shoulders a bit as he seemingly brushed dust off his dress shirt, all dressed up for their departure. Lips parted as he glared at Fred, he found himself staring down the woman as well… eyeing her from head to toe.

“Don’t talk as if you’re so innocent, Aeoren,” his voice spoke, sounding so menacing.

Hearing his words, the woman standing in front of the door looked away as if she had just been dropped a sentence that shook her to her core, suddenly filling her whole being with shame and guilt. Considering everything she tried to do for him the night before, she couldn’t help wondering why the man was suddenly so cold and insensitive… Unable to read behind his emotions, Vega wasn’t able to shoot back as Tom turned around on his heels and left his so-called good buddy and the woman he once considered as his so-called best friend standing in the hall, aghast.

Blinking twice, crossing her arms, she turned to Fred and muttered, “What are you guys doing in front of _our_ suite anyway?”

“Ah yes,” Fred loosened his collar and looked his friend in the eye, biting his lip. “I was wondering if you guys needed help with your luggage.”

Vega tilted her head and noted the compassion in Baldain’s voice. “Hey thanks,” she whispered, shrugging. “But I think we can manage it –“

“ ** _VEGA. SHUT THE DOOR._** ”

She turned around to see that Max had emerged from the veranda, and was looking as if she was about to murder someone. However, Vega saw how Fred’s angled face suddenly lit up, as he found himself brushing his beard with his thumb as he winced, upon hearing Maxine’s harsh tone.

“Alright then,” he continued talking to Vega. “I just wanted to know if I could talk to –“

“ ** _TELL THAT GIT TALKING TO YOU THAT NO ONE WANTS TO SPEAK TO HIM_.** ”

Vega could clearly see the way he winced upon hearing the woman’s words. Awkwardly apologetic, the smaller girl just wrinkled her nose at Fred and said, “Sorry Baldain.”

Nodding silently, Fred just smiled feebly at Vega before he slowly walked away, with the girl gently closing the door once he had gone down the stairs. Finding that Max has disappeared in the veranda once more, Vega turned around to face that pile of bags standing in front of her as she hopelessly palmed her face.

 

 

***

 

On the way back to London, Vega would have classified it as a 5-hour hell drive.

Fred had to hire a chauffeur considering that none of them were fit to drive, since majority of them were still recovering from the migraine of their hangovers, while most of them could admit that they all lacked sleep.

Capable of occupying permanent seats through the entire ride, they would say that spaces opened up since Beatrice left unexpectedly and took an airflight back to London earlier that day, saying that there was an emergency at the Gallery she had to attend to… but with everyone who were aware of what happened last night, they know that this is not the actual case.

Mari and Pete shared a whole couch, while Max occupied the entire back seat alone, stretching out and taking out a blanket from her bag as she slept through the entire ride. Tom and Fred were still clearly upset with each other, but they sat beside one another, with the bulk of their luggage sitting in between. Vega was awarded the place of shotgun, beside a chauffeur who barely spoke a word of English.

The van was silent almost during the entire ride, save for Max and Pete chatting, and eventually a conversation popping up between Fred and Tom… but this was the time after Vega has fallen asleep two hours into the drive, and she did not hear how the two eventually made up.

But Vega did dare to peer at the rear view mirror, to maybe catch a glimpse of her friends at the back of the car.

What she did see was Tom once again looking out the window, with eyes red and puffy (but not as bad as Max’s), as he seemingly gazed into the distance and the setting afternoon sun, drawing his leather jacket around him as he tried to keep his composure while he was in the presence of his friends.

Smirking to herself after seeing that spectacle, Vega ended up looking back at her phone and pulling out her Twitter app, declaring how this Cornwall was worse than the last.

 

**_@vegastar:_ ** _Well, this was worse than the last one. No bruises this time though. #CornwallSucks2_

 

Not waiting for anyone to reply, she tucks her iPhone back into her pocket, puts Ellie Goulding’s “My Blood” on the highest volume, and curls up for sleep.

 

 

 

***

 

 

The first thing Vega asks for when she gets to London was to be dropped off at the Way Magazine Headquarters.

“But we’re having dinner at the flat,” Fred tried reasoning with her to stay. “Mari and Pete will be coming with us.”

Chewing on her lip, Vega just turned around on her seat to look at the Scotsman, wincing. “Something came up, the site that is due supposedly tomorrow just crashed and no one’s available yet to fix it. I need to go back to work.”

Frowning, Fred said, “Can’t it wait till tomorrow?”

Before getting out of the seat, Vega shook her head. “Unfortunately not.”

Stepping on the curb, she opened the back of the van to pull out her baggage, ignoring the subtle glare from Max at the back seat and that blank stare she got from Fred’s seatmate. Poking her best-friend all curled up at the back couch, Vega decided to give Max a small smile and a decent goodbye before stepping away from the van completely.

“Cheer up girl,” she said Max who was about to hiss at her. “I’m a phonecall away. Just give me a ring if you need me.”

“Okay,” said the woman impatiently, wanting to prop the pillow on her face once the van speeds off again.

Waving goodbye to her friends, Vega gave a little shrug as the van sped away, walking towards the almost empty office building, realizing that despite what she said was true about the Way Celebrity Showdown Site suddenly getting a CSS error based on Topher’s “emergency texts”, she just really wanted to be alone for a while.

Or specifically be away from the mount up of tension between Max and Fred. And of course… Tom.

Gritting her teeth, Vega found herself rechecking her bags for available clean clothes the moment she got to the employees private quarters where there were beds and showers. Seeing the amount of clothes she weren’t able to use for Cornwall, Vega knew she could hide out at the office for a few days until she thinks it’s safe for her to come home.

For the next twenty-four hours, Vega buried herself in work.

Toph was still on holiday and Carrie was the only one to show up since she was avoiding her parents as well, not wanting to sit through another rerun of old movies with her mother. Leaving Carrie to practice her photoshop skills, Vega had the woman take over some of the botched photo manipulations Toph did in a hurry Christmas Eve as she disappeared back in the private quarters around 9am, wanting more sleep.

The nice thing about the holidays was there were less people in the office, and you had no one to fight with in the queue in the canteen. The bad thing about it was, it was a dreary Monday and the vending machine is running out of coffee. Her eye twitching with the lack of caffeine, Vega found herself frequenting the Deli across the building for her cups of coffee, buying more than one cup if necessary just to stay sane.

Around four in the afternoon, Vega’s leftover migraines were at a high again after speaking with a whining August on the phone. As much as she hated the events in this Cornwall trip, she suddenly preferred being stuck in a veranda with a _cheesy couple_ rather than deal with her stubborn Senior Writer.

“I’m sorry Vega, but I won’t be back until the 5th,” said the mousy-sounding voice on her iPhone as she held her head, chewing on her lip. “Can’t Carrie do the edits?”

“She can,” the woman groaned. “But you’re the Senior Writer.”

“Well it has to wait,” August said in a tone that really ticked Vega off, as she rolled her eyes and pulled out a packet of Vanilla Chamomile Tea from her stash after she ran out of coffee. “By the way, what’s the update on –“

“Hold up, I have a call wait,” Vega said quickly, just wanting to cut the conversation. But there really was a call wait, and the girl was wondering if it’s Topher to the rescue as she switched the line, saying, “Hello?”

The voice she heard was far from the one she was so familiar with, that her eyebrows shot up the moment she recognized it.

“ _Vega?_ ” he spoke softly. “ _Tom here._ ”

Suddenly straightening up from her slouched position, Vega found herself retracting the phone from her ear to check if it was really _him_ calling up, only to put the receiver back on her ear. “Hey Tom,” she said awkwardly. “What’s up?”

There was a bit of silence on the end of the line before he spoke again.

“ _Are you coming home today?_ ”

Pulling up some websites on her computer, Vega found herself checking the digital clock app on her computer, realizing it’s almost four-thirty. She was bound to leave by five, but that depends on the workload left… and her motivation to leave the office and go back to the flat.

“Yeah,” she answered simply.

“ _Are you coming home soon?_ ” His voice sounded like a little boy’s, as she could feel the hitch in his breath, sounding like a child asking when his mother would come home. “ _Fred’s gone home, Max’s still at the bakery and… I…_ ”

Vega found herself raising an eyebrow as she trapped the phone with her chin and her shoulder, waiting for the man to continue speaking as she reviewed the celebrity pictures Carrie tried editing.

“ _I just don’t want to be alone._ ”

For a grown man with a height of 6”2, Vega started wondering if there was a ghost or supernatural presence in the flat all of a sudden for this man to suddenly start speaking like this. In fact, the Tom who was speaking to her on the phone is a far cry from the confident public figure that were able to impress even the most toughest of critics with his portrayal of classic villains in theatre and on the big screen. The man she was talking to _sounded so different_ , like a child lost in the woods.

“Well,” she spoke as she shifted, holding the phone. “I’d probably be home in a couple of hours,” she raised an eyebrow and turned around to face her window, now streaming with afternoon light. “I can’t promise I’ll be home soon though.”

“ _Please come home soon,_ ” Tom’s voice pleaded on the phone.

Suddenly feeling a tinge of pity at the man who just went through hell during the previous day, Vega smirked a bit and just said, “Okay.”

The man eventually hung up leaving Vega staring at her phone realizing that August hung up as well, wondering why the New Year started so weirdly.

 

 

***

 

 

Vega arrived at the flat around 6pm.

Still dragging her baggage from Cornwall behind her, she found herself dumping her purse on the couch as she called out, “I’m home,” randomly for her roommates to hear, but there was no answer. Shrugging to herself, she hauled the rest of her bags in her room, dumping them on her bed.

Randomly walking out of her room, she found herself wincing at the indefinite silence in the flat.

She walked over to Max’s door and knocked, only to realize that she wasn’t there. “That’s weird,” she mused as she looked around, realizing that she’s all alone. Contemplating to abuse the television, she was about to sit on the couch… when she suddenly remembered Tom’s phonecall. Checking her phone if she has any messages from her roommies, she sighed to herself when she realized her inbox was empty.

Smirking, she rose up and approached his room… realizing that the door was slightly open. Raising an eyebrow, she knocked on it first. No reply.

 _That’s weird_ , Vega thought as she dared not peep through the small space between the door and the frame. _He was pleading for me to come home earlier, but now he’s all quiet. Could he be asleep?_

Suddenly remembering the way Tom sounded so pitiful and so desperate, something disturbing popped in Vega’s head as she clutched her iPhone, making her wonder what came about the man to actually call her up when they didn’t have quite the pleasant conversation the last time they talked.

Summoning her courage, Vega rapped her knuckles on the slightly open door again and announced out loud, “Tom? I’m coming in.”

Pushing the door open, the girl looked around the dimly lit room… and could not believe what she saw.

He was there alright… but he was seemingly fast asleep, those eyes shut closed. But what made Vega turn pale was the sight of red dripping down from the gashes on his wrists as it leaked on his jeans and on his bedspread…

The last thing you could hear is the woman’s iPhone dropping to the floor with a loud _clack_.


	34. Your Bleeding Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blood has been spilled, as three friends attempt to rescue the situation - as well as the man.

Max burst through the doors of the Emergency Room at the Wellington Hospital, looking kind of frantic as she looked around the waiting area, hoping to find a familiar face.

She looked around the fatigued and blank faces of people sitting around the waiting area, till she found the one she was looking for sitting at the back of the rows, staring into space with red-shot eyes and swollen lids that were hidden underneath her bangs and a small beanie hat.

Rushing over, Max had to shake the girl twice to get her attention.

“Vega – VEY – **VEGA!** ”

The girl seemed to have snapped out of a trance, as she turned her head to look at the slightly taller brunette, her eyes seemingly in a daze as if she just woke up from a bad dream. “Max –“ she said weakly, when all of a sudden someone approached her, holding out a cup of water.

“Here you are Vega,” the tall, wide-eyed honey-haired man exclaimed, before turning to look at the newcomer. “Is she the roommate you were talking about? Maxine?”

Max found herself staring up at Luke Windsor, who just smiled up at her and extended his hand for her to shake. “Hi there,” he exclaimed. “I’m Luke.”

Shaking his hand, the woman found herself shifting her glance to the girl sitting on the bench with her cup of water barely touched, and to the man who was standing before her. “You’re Luke Windsor,” she exclaimed, gulping. “I’ve heard about you. But anyway, what I really need to know is – _is he okay?_ ”

Luke found himself exchanging glances with a feeble-looking Vega, who only gave him a vacant expression. Pursing his lips, Luke turned to Max and spoke.

“We still haven’t heard from the nurses and the doctors attending to him,” Luke exclaimed, clutching his own cup of water. “But so far, we’ve been told that his vital signs are alright.”

Max found herself nodding as Luke gestured to the empty space beside Vega. “Please take a seat.”

For a moment, the three individuals sat there silently, with Luke tapping the surface of his plastic cup, Vega staring into hers, and Max fidgeting at every moment. And that was when Vega’s phone started ringing, the sound of Wondergirls’ “Be My Baby” suddenly filling the entire waiting area.

“Yeah,” she replied glumly. “That would be very efficient. Have Paul work on contacting the photographers of Elle too. I need every picture eradicated.”

Max turned to Vega nervously, and saw the grave expression on her face, despite being quiet and lethargic earlier.

“Oh Jean, if any of the writers ask, it’s a case of severe fatigue,” she spoke, her eyes meeting with Luke who nodded curtly at her. “If we have to release a scoop to topple off the other tabloids, I’ll have Reagan of Promotions to do that for me. Oh you’ll have her do that? Tell Josie, the head of PR first. Yeah thanks. Yeah. Bye.”

Placing the phone down, Vega found herself smiling feebly at Luke who touched her arm.

“Thanks for handling the media blackout, Vega,” Luke exclaimed, ignoring the way Max’s eyes widened upon hearing the words. “We need to keep this under wraps as much as possible. No one needs to know what really happened to Tom.”

Vega nods. “It’s the least I can do.”

Pursing his lips, Luke shook his head and said, “You did all you can for him. It’s a huge thing. You saved your best friend’s life.”

Sighing, Vega just leaned back on her chair, eyes still vacant like an empty room. “I’d like to think that, but I don’t want to be a hero right now.”

Clutching her phone, Max’s eyes suddenly fell on the screen that was sporting a huge crack that almost made it impossible to read through the texts and messages that was displayed on it. Jaw dropped, she turned to her friend, clutching her arm and muttered, “What happened to your phone?”

Vega turned to her and plainly answered, “Dropped it.”

Max was about to make a retort when a nurse suddenly approached the three, clutching a clipboard. “Hello, I am the attending nurse for Mr. Hiddleston and…” she started, peering at the tall blonde man, the sober-looking Asian girl and her Latina friend. “Which one of you is family?”

Luke turned to both girls and winced, exclaiming, “None of us actually, we’re all friends.”

Pursing her lips, the twenty-something nurse peered in the file and exclaimed, “I am looking for the patient’s family, or at least anyone who shares the same blood type as Mr. Hiddleston since he may need to undergo blood transfusion. Would you happen to have contact with his family?”

“Well,” Luke started. “The thing is his family has been informed, but they wouldn’t be here till morning…”

Vega looked up, eyeing the file. “Would it be alright if I saw his files on his blood type?” The woman asked plainly.

“No problem,” the nurse answered as she picked out a few forms and handed it over to the smallest girl in the trio, with Luke and Max peering at the paper once Vega brought it to her face… barely reading the typed-out information since she forgot her glasses at home after going through that frantic adrenaline chaos of contacting an ambulance with her broken phone, and grabbing towels in an attempt to control her roommate’s bleeding.

“I’m compatible,” she said, gritting her teeth as she looked up at the nurse. “You can take mine.”

The woman in the scrubs uniform nodded then and exclaimed, “Well then. Please follow me.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

Max sat beside her friend on a bed near the laboratory as a nurse started to run an alcohol-soaked cotton on Vega’s arm. The girl sat still, staring into space as the male nurse standing in front of her started briefing her about the process of taking blood, asking if she already ate, and if she had any sickness as of the moment. Saying yes to eating and no to the last question, she turned to face her other best friend with a blank look on her face.

“I’m not saying that I don’t have a choice,” she exclaimed, her voice flat. “But you and Luke are not compatible, Fred is nowhere to be found, and it’s better to have blood ready when it’s needed.”

Rolling her eyes at the mention of Fred’s name, Max spoke, “Well Luke did say that the git will be here in thirty minutes and would be donating blood too. So I think Tom would have just enough at this point. Don’t you think?”

Vega just shrugged, but then she suddenly turned pale when the nurse took out the needle about to be stabbed in her arm.

“Jesus,” Max exclaimed as she clung onto Vega’s free arm. “That’s…” the taller brunette gulped. “That’s gonna make me queasy…”

Suddenly shaking, Vega turned to her friend and said, “Well if it makes you feel uncomfortable, you can come back for me here after two hours.”

Blinking twice, Max turned to her friend disbelievingly. “Two hours?! Extraction takes a few minutes… why do I have to wait that long to get back to you? I don’t want to be stuck upstairs when that moronic Scottish bastard arrives –“

Glaring back at her friend, the girl was interrupted when the male nurse asks her if she’s ready, to which she just nods.

“Max,” she whispered as the male nurse turned around to prepare the needle. “Don’t tell anyone but…” she gulped. “I’m scared. I have a fucking low tolerance for pain. Expect me knocked out and fainted after this.” She turned to the woman, fear brimming in her eyes. Max found herself digging her nails into Vega’s free arm upon realizing that the girl was truly scared. “I think I’ll pass out.”

Nodding, Max placed an arm around Vega, who started to shake as the nurse positions the large syringe against her skin. “Okay,” the taller woman exclaimed, gulping. “I’m staying with you, Veggie-pie.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

By the time Tom opened his eyes… the first thing he saw was three people looking down on him.

Fred stood by the bed, with his arms crossed, looking clearly fidgety and worried. His trusty publicist was also there, smiling at him, sort of mouthing a “Hello” that caused him to blink once and twice and sort of return the gesture. He turned to his head to the side and saw a blonde with a very anxious face who quickly bent down and took him into his embrace, despite his entire body aching.

“E-Emma,” he coughed up at his sister. “T-Too tight –“

“I’m sorry,” his younger sister sniffled, letting go off him. “I’m just so worried…”

Smiling at the blonde woman, Fred clapped Tom on the shoulder, making sure not to hit his arm where several tubes were still attached. “Glad to have you back, mate,” he whispered, to which his friend painfully raised a bandaged hand to tap him on the arm.

“Please don’t do that again,” Luke said, sighing.

A melancholy and vacant expression appeared on Tom’s face as he gave Luke a distant nod, as he looked around his hospital room, clearly confused.

“How can you do that, Tom?” he was suddenly jarred by his sister’s voice. He turned to face her, still feeling sore and broken, but he summoned all the courage to smile up at her as she held his bandaged hand. “I couldn’t believe that you –“ she took a deep sigh. “You know, mum’s going to be very cross with you when she arrives.”

“I figured,” he said weakly, clutching his sister’s hand, glad to have her in his presence, realizing how he missed his family.

“You’re such a nutter,” Emma exclaimed, letting out a relieved sob as she leaned over again and clutched her older brother in a tight hug, making Tom sigh painfully as he returned the embrace by patting his sister on the back.

By the time everyone has settled, he tried sitting up on his bed, to which a nurse suddenly arrived and advised him not to.

“H-How did I end up here?” he exclaimed once he had the courage to speak, causing Fred and Luke to stop their little chat and look at him.

Emma never left his side, just clutching his hand, to which she found herself wondering as well how Tom managed to get to the hospital in time. Doctors have been saying he may have lost too much blood if he was brought to the hospital later, and the first aid that was performed on him was albeit a bit rusty, but increased the chances to save his life.

Emitting a small ironic chuckle, Fred found himself scratching his beard before speaking. “You wouldn’t believe this mate…” He paused to put his hands on his waist. “You really wouldn’t.”

Somewhat frail, Tom did a painful stretch with his torso, before opening his eyes to look at Fred once more. “Tell me,” he silently insisted, his throat parched and dry.

Frowning, his expression turned into a smug grin as he said, “You wouldn’t be here if Vega wasn’t fast enough. That woman was the one who rushed you here.”

As pale as he was, with a bag of blood still syringed through his arm, Tom turned paper-white upon hearing that name. For a moment, all his anxieties returned and for some reason, his wrists began to ache once more. “V-Vega?” he uttered, making his sister gasp.

“She’s here?!” Emma suddenly exclaimed. “ _Aeoren?_ Aeoren’s here? And she saved my brother’s life?!”

Fred literally dropped his jaw upon hearing that exclusive Mercenary name dropped by Tom’s sister, as he turned to his friend in the private hospital bed who was now sporting an empty, shocked expression as he started at an empty corner in the hospital room.

“Well, Vega’s here alright,” Fred started. “However –“

He was suddenly interrupted by a voice behind him as the door to the private hospital room closed by itself. “That woman you are looking for,” Max started as she marched into the fray, ignoring Fred’s surprised look. “Is currently passed out in the Laboratory Ward, after having a giant needle stabbed into her arm, Tom.”

Looking away, the man parted his lips and closed them again, and just nodded upon hearing Max say those words.

Tom remained silent for the rest of the time, as his sister suggested he take more rest. Fred and Luke discussed with Emma the safety precautions so not to have the media find out about her brother’s condition, while Max politely excused herself (while subtly ignoring Fred’s glances completely) as she went back to the Laboratory ward after having a small chat with Tom, asking about how he’s feeling.

As they all stayed outside the room to let him sleep, he pretended to have sunk into slumber, but all he could think about was that guilt and that growing depression that caused him to harm himself in the first place. Locked alone in the misery in his head, he tried to convince himself over and over that he wasn’t one to sink in that kind of darkness; but after everything that happened to him, the love of his life leaving him, or what he thought was the true love of his life… and discovering _something else that New Year’s Eve_ that left him so conflicted and helpless… as if he was once again trapped in an endless chase with no finish line and no hopes of winning…

He was really contemplating of visiting a therapist (which he knew would eventually be recommended for him after what he did), when Fred suddenly walked in the room alone.

“You’re awake,” his buddy exclaimed as Tom painfully flexed his hands again, smiling up at his friend, wondering where he is getting the courage to try appear happy.

“I honestly couldn’t sleep,” he whispered. “How’s Emma?”

“Talking with Luke,” Fred answered as he sat on the chair beside his bed. “They’re phoning your parents. Telling them that you’re fine.”

Tom smiled at him… till his eyes fell on the huge bandage on Fred’s arm with his rolled up sleeve. “You… You donated blood too?”

Fred wrinkled his nose. “Of course mate,” he exclaimed. “Emma couldn’t make it right away and you needed transfusion, stat. There were only two people compatible at the moment with their consent – me,” he pointed to himself. “And Vega.”

The man in the hospital gown winced upon hearing the girl’s name again. But much to his surprise, Fred started laughing to himself.

“Ah that woman,” he exclaimed, causing Tom to turn his attention to him again, after attempting to stare into space once more. “You should have heard her on the phone.”

Tom turned to look at him, a bit of guilty curiosity in his eyes.

Seeing this, Fred smiled to himself and continued talking. “I was thinking of turning in early after dinner, when suddenly Vega’s calling me up,” he recalled. “I thought it had to do something with her silly little friend, but turns out… it was _you_. She was shaking like a rattlesnake, that one.” There was a bit of remorse and fear in his voice as Tom listened to him, as the guilt crept up his veins… making him really question why he picked up that separated blade. “She couldn’t even say the words ‘blood’ and ‘bleeding’, and all I could hear from her was breathy gasps… as if she was crying…”

It was painful, but Tom managed to clutch his hand hidden from Fred into a fist, ignoring the pain coming from his wrists. Something in his head told him that if he knew that Vega would be the one to find him in the process, he wouldn’t even dare to try what he ended up doing. But it was all water under the bridge now, and he couldn’t undo the trauma he had caused…

“You owe that woman her sanity, Thomas,” Fred said sternly, seeing the traces of anguish on his face.

Tom sighed, unable to say anything. He wondered how he would even attempt to face her. As much as he was too distraught to even talk to her that New Year morning, he still couldn’t stop dialing her number after hours of crying and moping in his room. But after what all of that lead to… he knew he just couldn’t face her. _I don’t even know if Aeo could look in my direction_ , he thought bitterly. _I don’t even know if I could even look into her face…_

“You know Tom,” Fred spoke, suddenly piercing and shattering his painful thoughts. “You keep on saying that you know her and you know her too much to even _try_ being close again… But you don’t know Vega at all, my friend.”

Frowning, Tom just looked up at his friend. “What are you trying to say?”

“Vega isn’t what she plainly seems to be,” he spoke, his eyes trailing off. “She may say a dozen things: Say she hates you, thinks you’re a cuntwad, thinks you’re a useless prick, a prankster, and a womanizer… but her actions always say something else.”

The man did not speak.

He knew that.

He knew that way before Fred even figured it out.

He just didn’t want to believe in it anymore.

“And you just first-hand witnessed my friend,” the Scot continued, clapping his hands. “How Vega would do anything in her power… not to lose you.”

Tom didn’t know why, how his mind was so far away, how his body kept on aching, and how his mind was filled with so many hurts, so many questions, and so many answers he could fabricate… But at that moment, the one thing he couldn’t explain… was why those blank blue eyes were suddenly filled with tears.

 

 

***

 

 

By the time Vega got around herself, Max had fallen asleep beside her.

Still weak and in the same clothes from her Cornwall packed bag, Vega tried sitting up only to realize how nauseated she felt. A nurse who was taking care of blood donors suggested that she rest some more and just leave in the morning. Max however, suddenly jumped out from her seat when her alarm went off around 3am, quickly rousing Vega, asking her to come home with her quick… since she has to be at the bakery in an hour.

A bit woozy on the way out of the Lab Ward, Max suggested visiting Tom’s room just to say hello… but Vega says she can do it some other time… when she’s much stronger. Little does Max know that Vega has no power to see the man, especially after having to haul and carry him on an adrenaline rush, with his blood staining her gloves and coat.

But upon receiving one text from Fred saying, “ _He’s awake!_ ” – it was enough for Vega to say that her job is done and that her best friend was out of danger.

However, Max was being a bit insistent. Passing by Luke on the way to the elevators, he informs them that Tom’s family had arrived and had convened in his room. Luke worriedly eyes the frail and drunk-looking Vega, and suggests that they go up to the private room since Tom’s mum wants to thank the woman who saved her son’s life. Max looked at Vega with a cheesy grin, but one stern look from the smaller brunette just meant that she wasn’t up for it.

“I’m sorry Luke, she’s just too weak right now,” Max said with a bit of a frown. “I need to take her home.”

Understanding the situation, Luke offers to find them a cab, to which the girls accept. While waiting as Luke ran off to fix some documents at the Nurse’s Station, Max turns to Vega and asks her why she wouldn’t go and see her so-called brother.

“Maybe next time,” she whispered sluggishly. “When I feel worthy.”

Vega closed her eyes and tried to steal some zzzs before the cab arrived, but at least she didn’t see that half-smirk, half-grin Max was wearing the entire time Vega pretended to be asleep.

 

 

As Max went to work in the morning, Vega filed for another day of sick leave.

 

Daryll was the one whining this time, saying “My God, Vega. You’re getting sicker every time. Don’t tell me it’s the London weather –“

The girl just sighed and said, “Daryll, a friend of mine was hospitalized last night, and I had to donate a lot of blood.” She found herself sprawled on bed as she talked to her supervisor on her broken phone. “And I still feel anemic, even if I’m not.”

She heard her boss snicker on the phone. “Friend, huh? Risk-management and Promotionals told me that you had them up and running all night. This better be a scoop.”

The girl just sighed and covered her face. “It’s a scoop alright,” she exclaimed. “You’ll find out soon about it enough.”

Satisfied, her boss issued her a day off work and the possibility to file for sick leaves for the next few days. After all, Daryll can’t really argue with Vega after she had the website up and running after their Holiday Break. “Don’t forget the chaos I fixed for you,” the woman reminded him before she put down the phone.

 

The girl spent the day sleeping in and out, ignoring the small sounds in the flat.

She didn’t even notice when Max went home, after having to go to the hospital to bring her other sick roommate some sweets after deliberately trying to avoid Fred’s schedule on visiting Tom. But the first thing Vega noticed upon waking up after acting like a lazy sick little cat all day… was her broken phone ringing… with her fiancé on the other line.

 _“Vega honey,_ ” his voice crackled on the other line, giving her an unusual kind of comfort. “ _I’ve been calling you all day and you’re not answering –_ “

Unable to hide a sob, Vega started crying on the phone. “ _Gale…_ ”

_“Honey, what’s wrong?”_

She spent half of the evening in a foetal position, hugging her pillow, as she cried to her boyfriend about her traumatic experience of watching a “friend” almost die. She retold the entire experience of finding her “friend” bleeding in their room, having to gather all her wits and knowledge on how to stop the bleeding, and frantically calling emergency on her phone despite the broken touchscreen after it hit the ground upon Vega’s shock on finding her “friend” on the floor. Of course… omitting all names and details. Or the fact that her “friend” is actually a Hollywood actor.

 _“Oh sweetie_ ,” Gale tried to comfort her as hot tears fell from Vega’s face as she stared into a corner, her short hair messed up upon her pillow. “ _You’ve done what you could, and it’s not your fault… What’s important that your friend is alive… You helped keep your friend alive…_ ”

It was enough for Vega to calm down.

To know that her friend was alive.

And that was all there is to it.

 

 

***

 

 

Two days later, Vega was fit enough to get back to work… at least to pacify an apologetic Toph and to “babysit” a freaking-out Carrie who was calling up the woman a day before after her computer crashed all of a sudden. Getting a friend from the IT department to deal with the problem and treating her stressed-out coworkers to ice cream, Vega had never been sort of stress-free, at least being away from that flat, the tension, and everything else that reminded her of what she considered as the worst night of her life.

Exhausted after a day’s work, Vega went home thinking about not being able to wear her favorite white trench that she was wearing _that night…_ after trying so hard to rid it with the blood stains. In fact, she was still mourning her favorite mittens that had turned red… But as much as she hated having her favorite clothes ruined, the memory that came with it was too painful to make her even regret having to soak those clothes in an attempt to save it.

Dealing with the cold thanks to an old unwashed denim jacket, she walked through the door contemplating a rice meal for her comfort food… when the presence of three individuals in the living room coming to her attention had her stuck on the doorway, frozen in place.

Max was clearly sitting away from Fred, still ignoring his gaze, suddenly getting up to her feet when she saw her Mercenary sister walk through the door. Fred, on the other hand, was twiddling his fingers as he sat across the woman, suddenly turning his head and smiling hopefully upon seeing Vega standing there with a displeased look on her face.

However, the presence of the man who turned around from the couch to look in her direction caused Vega’s smile to melt away like ice on summer’s day, as her lips became pursed, tearing her eyes away from the scene as she crossed the living room and went straight for the refrigerator.

“Oh Vega, I’m glad you’re home,” Max exclaimed, quickly going over to her favorite sister, giving her a hug. Pulling out her tumbler of water, Vega momentarily smiled at her friend and said “Hm”, before drinking from her bottle.

Fred exchanged worried glances with Tom, who has just arrived from the hospital; getting clearance from his doctor and having his sister visit him once and a while as he signs up for debriefing. Wearing a hoodie that was definitely not his typical style, his hands remained bandaged under the long sleeves, hiding the real reason why he was in the hospital. Still, he looks pale and weak, trying to recover from all the blood loss.

“Where have you been all day?” Max exclaimed, sitting on the dining table, waiting for Vega to answer as she literally drank her entire bottle.

“Working,” the woman answered flatly, placing the bottle down on the sink, still clearly ignoring the two men waiting patiently on the couches.

“What? But you said you would be getting sick leaves for the rest of the week –“

“Didn’t file for it yet,” Vega quickly answered, turning around, her messenger bag hitting the kitchen counter as she started taking off her shoes.

Fred opened his mouth. “Uhm, Aeo –“

She momentarily shot him a small smile, muttering, “Hey Fred,” before tossing her shoes on the rack, completely ignoring the slow way Tom rose from the couch… making his way towards her.

She was midway in tearing the beanie off her hair, ignoring the way Max nervously clutched her hands as she watched Tom slowly walk towards his other roommate, Vega was about to open the door to the room, when she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder.

“Vega,” he whispered, summoning what’s left of his courage. “I –“

Quickly spinning around, the girl’s hand flew from the knob to hit the man’s cheek, tiptoeing a bit to reach his face as his head bounced to the left, his eyes going wide with shock following the woman’s violent reaction.

Everything happened so fast.

Fred suddenly dropped his jaw as he rose from his seat, moving towards his friend to defend him, only to stop in his tracks when he saw Vega’s outstretched hand starting to shake. Max quickly covered her mouth as she approached her two roommates. Tom on the other hand, was holding a frozen expression of shock on his face… as his bandaged hand slowly rose to his face to touch the reddening cheek the woman has just slapped.

“Jesus Chr –“ Fred exclaimed.

“Vega please,” Max called out. “What are you doing –“

Clutching her hand into a fist, Vega backed away from the man whom she found bleeding to death a few days ago, as she opened her mouth and said in a shaky voice, “You have nothing to say to me.”

Crestfallen, Tom dropped his hand and parted his lips. “Vega let me –“

Shaking her head, tears welling up her eyes, Vega bitterly looked up at him. “ _You have nothing to say to me,”_ she repeated with much vindication, both her hands being clutched into fists now.

“Vega please –“ the man pleaded.

Closing her eyes, the woman pushed him away. “Don’t you say ‘please’ now, Tom! **DON’T YOU DARE SAY _‘PLEASE’_ NOW WHEN I WATCHED YOU UNCONSCIOUS AND I WAS UTTERING THE SAME _‘PLEASE’_ YOU’RE TELLING ME NOW HOPING THAT YOU’LL OPEN YOUR EYES –“**

Taking a deep breath, Tom backed away from her upon hearing her raise her voice.

Realizing how much she was shaking, Vega looked at her aghast-looking friends still frozen in their places… and Tom’s crestfallen face still focused on her… pleading, waiting.

Shaking her head as a tear rolled down her face, the woman took a deep breath and said, “I would have gutted you and killed you on the spot if you wanted to die, Thomas.” She stifled a sob. “ _All you needed to do was ask and I would have done it as you requested._ ”

Tom looked at her, horrified… not just with her rudeness, but how her words cut him like a knife. They would often say that trying to convince someone who tried taking their life was to give them the attention they needed, but Vega was doing it wrong at this point. And she didn’t realize how much her words were cutting the man into pieces – even more than how he ran those blades deep into his wrist.

“Vega, get a hold of yourself –“

“ **MAX LET ME FINISH** ,” she roared back, like a tiger cornered. She turned to the man standing in front of her once more. “It’s not the best thing to say to someone who tried to take their life,” she said through gritted teeth. “But you made me _so angry_ that the man who taught me to see the positive things in life would _dare do this to himself_ …”

Silence reigned over the flat as Vega’s hitched breathing began to slow down, as she finally got a hold of her temper… only to find the man she was currently berating looking at her with those watery blue eyes, completely broken and downtrodden with guilt, hearing what she had to say.

Closing his eyes, tears began to fall down Tom’s face as well.

“One day,” he whispers softly as tears stained his cheeks. “When you are at your lowest place… When you feel that everything has been taken from you… when your heart is devoid of love, and you are being engulfed by darkness… One day you will understand, Vega. One day. And I do pray that you will never experience that day because _it hurts as much_.”

The girl remained motionless with silent fury in front of her door as she wrinkled her nose, making a sarcastic face despite trying to hold back her tears.

“That’s not the Thain I know,” Vega said sarcastically, her throat hurting with how she choked back her sobs. “You’re not the Thain I know… I don’t know who you are anymore…”

Tom then opened his eyes and glared back at her.

“I haven’t been _Thain_ for a long time, Vega,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “And I wasn’t being _Thain_ at all when you found me in my room…” A sob also escaped his lips as he stood there, shaking as well. “You have to accept that.”

There was a long awkward pause, before Vega suddenly crossed her arms, stifling her sobs, when she suddenly let out a small smirk, followed by a sarcastic laugh.

“ _Not Thain_ ,” she said mockingly, before squinting her eyes and tearing up again. “You say you’re not _Thain_ –“ She looked up at him with these small beady brown eyes, her lids slowly swelling up with how she literally cried in front of her friends. “That’s got to hurt you know? Since you’ll always be Thain to me –“

Vega yanked her door open, as she raised a hand and wiped her tears off one cheek with her sleeve.

“ _And you’re so much better than this_.”

Ignoring the way Tom seemingly lost his resolve as his shoulders sank upon hearing what she said, Vega decided that she has had enough of that night as she slammed the door in his face.

As Max palmed her face upon sitting on the dining area, with Fred quickly moved to touch his friend on the shoulder in an attempt to comfort him… Vega’s words drowned out all the sound and rang repeatedly in Tom’s head as he found himself looking helplessly at his bandages… wishing he never even thought of doing what he already did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once you have finished reading this chapter, listen to Adelle’s “Make You Feel My Love”. Imagine Vega just humming this. Not even singing it. It’s all I could say right now. Then come back and tell me how you feel about it.


	35. The Beacon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Fred separately try to convince their friend to help them keep an eye out for the depressed Tom. The man on the other hand, tries to overcome the darkness within himself. With a little help, of course.

“That was really harsh, Vega.”

The girl stretched out on her bed, frowning, already dressed in her pajamas and a My Neighbor Totoro t-shirt. Adjusting her glasses, she glared at her friend sitting on the foot of the bed and sighed. “Yeah, okay. Maybe I was.”

Sitting up and putting her iPad aside to run her fingers through her short hair, Vega found herself fixing the thick-rimmed glasses on her nose to look at her tired and forlorn-looking roommate, who was seemingly getting impatient waiting for her to get up and talk about their issues.

It’s been a day since Tom got back to the flat and Vega gave him that wonderful home-coming gift of slapping his face with an open-hand.

After that confrontation, the girl just managed to cry herself to sleep until she completely forgot what she was crying about in the first place when she got up in the morning. And as usual, Vega ended up going to work early, locking up all her issues in the flat and running away from it. As expected, she came home late, glad to see that the living room was empty, as she headed straight for her room. However, the moment she has changed out of her work clothes and was playing games on her iPad (while waiting for her fiancé to wake up on the other side of the world) because the broken screen on her phone pissed her off, a knock was heard at her door. Vega was definitely relieved that it was just Max.

“You do know that most probably,” Max spoke, snapping the woman out of her blank thoughts. “Tom’s therapist must be berating you right now for saying those words to a man suffering from depression.”

The smaller woman sighed and rolled her eyes. “He needed to hear that,” she said gruffly, standing up to face Max as she placed her hands on her hips. “He had to know what he did was wrong.”

“Show a little bit of compassion, Vega,” Max said softly, black circles around her eyes. Clearly the woman was upset as well, and Vega wouldn’t be surprised if she was really worrying about their other roommate. But considering the unresolved issues Max left at Cornwall… Vega just sighed, not wanting to deal with any more drama. “You know Tom has been quiet and desolate whenever I would visit him. You can see it in the smile he puts up that he’s trying hard… but do you know the first question he asked me when I first saw him after that night he woke up?”

“What,” Vega asked, picking up a piece of gum from her dresser.

“He asking how you were,” Max said, looking down. Her friend turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow, surprised. “After finding out that you and that shit of a man donated blood for him, he was wondering if you were doing good… concerning he only saw that other guy that night, and he never caught a glimpse of you in the hospital.”

Vega chewed quietly at the gum, eyebrow still raised, as she played with the foil.

“To think about it, he was even surprised that it turned out to be you who brought him there,” Max continued speaking as Vega started moving around her room, clearly not in the mood to listen to her. “You should have seen how paper-white his face was when he found out…”

The girl she was talking to just threw the gum wrapper in her waste basket with a sickening thud.

“Maxi,” Vega exclaimed as she approached her friend, her pajamas brushing against the floor. “Honestly, what’s bothering you?”

Her friend looked up at her with those blank amber eyes and pursed her lips. Clearly, she did not look happy… but Vega can vouch that she wasn’t pleased, satisfied, or even emotionally or physically healthy at that moment.

“I was hoping you’d help me keep a look out on Thomas,” she whispered. “Since I know that other git from the other side of town would be no help.”

“Max, you’re not his keeper –“

“Vega –“

“And seriously _Frederick_ ain’t his keeper too,” Vega said sarcastically, waving her hands around. “And isn’t it his sister would be dropping by now and then to check up on him? Why make the effort? Is it even necessary to _corral me_ into this _compassionate_ crusade of yours?”

The woman sitting on her bed just sighed and palmed her face.

“Dear God you get so sarcastic when you clearly are all angry, frustrated, and concerned,” she whispered to herself. “Vega, we’re just being _his friends_ ,” she said through an exhausted tone. “You know, people who care for him, want to look out for him… when other people can’t?”

The woman she was talking to scoffed.

“I wonder when you’d be true to yourself, Vega…” Max exclaimed, looking her friend in the eye. “With that marvelously anger-fuelled speech you gave Tom last night, _we all know_ that you do care. Hate isn’t the opposite of love, darling.”

Hearing her words caused Vega’s mouth to twitch as she spectacularly frowned at her friend who just made her point. Removing her glasses and smoothing the bridge of her nose with a finger, Vega threw back her head and groaned louder.

“What do you want me to do?”

Max placed a thumb on her lip and thought in silence, before sighing and spreading her hands on her lap, cocking her head like she always does when she feels like giving up on a person.

“It’s simple really,” she said. “All I need you to do is be there for him. It’s as simple as that.”

Glasses hooked around her fingers as she leaned her cheek against her fist, Vega heaved out a sigh, before those chocolate brown eyes darted to look at her friend, wondering why do they even consider that an easy task when Vega found it so complicated at such a time like that.

 

 

***

 

 

It was a day towards the weekend, and Vega was relieved to be free of her office duties for a change. Leaving the flat early for her scheduled trip to the Steam Room where she often held coffee-infused Facetime sessions with her boyfriend at her favorite spot – a leather-couch at the end of the café; Vega found herself bumping into a tall figure who was unusually sauntering a few blocks away from their flat.

“Leaving so soon?” Frederick exclaimed, eyeing the girl who was in an off-shoulder shirt and leggings, who pulled off those blue trademarked headphones from her ears.

“Yeah,” Vega answered curtly. “Pressing matters await –“

She was about to escape Fred, when she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. “Is anyone left in the flat?” he pried, those green eyes softly probing Vega’s expression… as the girl just randomly shrugged.

“Oh Aeoren,” Fred sighed, as he gently released the woman’s shoulder. “This is what I was afraid of.”

Vega swore she was out of breath for sighing repeatedly that week. Sinking her shoulders, she brought her nose up and looked helplessly at the dull sky, before turning to look at Fred, her eyes brimming with the typical, “Oh-please-not-this-again”.

“Do you even know how Tom is doing?” Fred asked helplessly.

The girl shrugged once more, getting tired of hearing the name. “Dunno,” she answered plainly.

“Vega,” Fred exclaimed after palming his face. “Please tell me that you still care about your brother. He just recovered from a life-threatening event he inflicted on himself, and you well know that he cannot be left alone. Please help us.”

Squishing her face with a free hand, Vega placed a hand on her hip and moaned, “God, you’re not the first person to tell me this…”

“Max?” his face lit up. “Max talked to you about it?”

The woman he was talking to looked at him cryptically, raising an eyebrow to how he suddenly piped up, life and hope suddenly filling his voice. That’s when Vega realized that Tom wasn’t the only hopelessly devoted romantic in the group. The man standing in front of her was a closeted dreamer, and he dreams of the brunette who was busy playing Rock Songs in a private room in her sister’s bakery.

“Yes,” Vega said wearily.

Rubbing his hands, hiding a small smile, Fred exclaimed, “Well then, same sentiments as the little lass.” His smile disappeared and a desperate expression was seen on his face. “Please keep an eye out on Thain. He needs you the most right now.”

Frowning, Vega threw her arms up and exclaimed, “That’s it! I’m filing for sick leaves! Damn it!”

She suddenly turned around and trudged past Fred, stomping back towards their flat, as a small smile appeared on the man’s face… before he turned around and walked away.

 

 

 

***

 

 **_@mari_mac:_ ** _I heard about the news. You get well soon, dear brother. I'll visit around Feb. #GetWellSoonTom_

**_@lis_grey:_ ** _You guys! Come on! Give us updates! Stop keeping us in the dark! And you better get better, Thain. #GetWellSoonTom_

**_@samanthareeks:_ ** _;A; I heard the news too... Thain! Get better! #GetWellSoonTom_

**_@lilyrose:_ ** _WE JUST DISAPPEAR AND SHIT HAPPENS. TOM STOP OVERWORKING YOURSELF. #GetWellSoonTom_

 

 

It took a few days before the Way exclusive scoop on Tom’s hospitalization was released. Well-wishers all over the internet flocked over with their campaigns and blood drives, while Vega personally briefed the girls not to ask personal questions on Twitter, promising to tell them as a whole in private when they come back to London during their yearly Eurotrip.

With the scandal out of the way, Vega’s work is barely done.

With the completion of the Way Celebrity Showdown project that was ready for launch on that year, the pileup of work Vega’s team had towards the end of the year dwindled, as Toph and Carrie were literally just jamming in the office with the lack of field work and dealing with the minimal edits they were dealing with everyday. Sasha was always on field, the way she likes it; and August has extended his vacation days. Vega found out it was the best time to file for a weekly sick leave, claiming that she has developed some sort of fatigue and had to report to work for four hours at most. But truth was, Vega was just complying to the demands Fred and Max have set on her head, and this secretly ticked her off as she passed the request to Daryll and Human Resources… making her completely aghast when it was approved in a jiffy – considering Vega’s performance the previous year.

Appearing to work every other day or just showing up half of the day, Vega decided to work on her blog and do some random writing while she’s at the flat.

One time, she was going through her ignored emails… and found a whole slew of uploaded pictures from Mari and Pete, labeled “New Year’s Eve”. Not looking forward to its contents, she was first amused by that happy drunken pictures that were taken of her, Max and Mari… as well as those images where Fred, Pete, and some other unnamed guests were doing an arm wrestle. But the moment Vega caught a glimpse of those pictures of a beautiful woman in a red gown kissing a well-dressed man holding a velvet box in his hands in the middle of a sea of cheering people… Vega was tempted to trash the entire folder Mari sent her.

Leaving it as it is and berating herself silently for thinking about such things, she decided to march out of her room for a change, probably to get a cup of tea to calm herself down.

However, the moment she did open the door… she found a figure painfully leaning over the sink in the kitchen, flexing his wrists in agony, trying to take his bandages off.

It was a pitiful sight… seeing Tom trying to change the dressings on his wrist. It probably still hurt as much considering how deep the gashes were, and with the stress and trauma attached to his injuries, his roommates did not know how much he was trying to overcome the shuddering and the fear whenever he had to remove his bandages all by himself and see the wounds with his own eyes…

Blinking twice as she peeked out of the door, the woman found herself wincing, hesitating to approach him, before rolling her eyes as she finally yanked her door open… finding her courage to march towards him in the kitchen.

“Scoot over,” the female voice behind him caused Tom’s eyes to widen as he turned around.

“I – Wha –“

“I said scoot over,” Vega said sternly as she hit his waist with her hip, forcing him to side step off the sink so she can wash her hands. Relaxing his hands with a gauze still dangling from his wrists, Tom blinked a bit as he shied away from the woman, who was now drying her fingers with the towel hanging on the wooden door of the pantry, before she pulled out a plastic bowl from under the sink… filling it with hot water from the tap.

“Take a seat in the living room,” the younger woman ordered. “I’ll be there in a moment.”

Catching himself staring at her, Tom just silently nodded as he moved out of the way clutching his fists in an attempt to test how much pain his wounds are causing him. He just ended up wincing as he fell seated on one of the couches.

Without looking at him, Vega robotically placed the bowl of hot water on the coffee table and knelt in front of him, the gauze box in hand. Taking a deep breath, she gritted her teeth as she took the man’s hand in hers… slowly pulling back the bandages, causing Tom to wince.

“You don’t have to do this, Vega,” he whispered.

“I want to,” she said crassly, through gritted teeth as she focused on what she was doing, still refusing to look at his face. “So just shut it.”

Looking away, Tom just allowed silence to encapsulate the entire living room.

Completely removing the bandages and dumping it beside her on the floor, she drenched a small towel in the bowl of hot water, before she ran the wet fabric over the man’s exposed wounds… causing him to wince as she did so.

Drying the wounds up with a separate towel, she finally summoned the courage to look into those anxious blue eyes, asking, “You have the ointment?”

Tom just nodded and handed her the tube, to which she pulled off the cap and placed a small amount on a q-tip, before carefully spreading it over the deep red gashes that covered his entire wrist… the man wincing with every stroke, as the girl held down onto his hand with his fingers wrapped around her palm, as she pulled down his arm at a certain angle to get a better glimpse of what she’s working on.

As she repeated the same cleansing process to the other wrist, Tom just watched her with silence, clearly uncomfortable with how she refused to speak to him the entire time she was doing him that favor. But as he watched those brown eyes completely concentrating on peeling back the bandages and gently applying ointment on the wounds… As beads of sweat formed on her forehead hidden by her bangs, causing her to raise an unused arm to wipe it off with the back of her hand… And how those lips were parted as she continued working on that volunteered task that was not expected of her at all… He never felt so secure and at peace in his entire life, that he knew he just had to say something.

“Vega,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

The girl paused on wrapping a new set of bandages on his other wrist as she looked up at him, a glare clearly visible in those brown eyes.

“Don’t apologize to me, Thomas,” she said in a crisp tone as she looked back down at what she was doing, ignoring the way his finger gently grazed against the inside of her palm as she held his hand down. “Apologize to your parents. Apologize to your sisters. To Max. To Fred. And Luke too.”

Tom just found himself looking down, realizing that she was speaking about all of the people who were so relieved to find him alright that night when he woke up on that hospital bed.

“They were all worried about you,” her voice echoed all over the empty living room as she shifted uncomfortably on her knees. “Apologize to everyone who loves you. Don’t apologize to me.”

He just bit his lip, stared at her in question and said nothing.

Finally wrapping up and tucking the edge of the gauze into a fold, Vega did a sigh and placed her hands on her thighs, glad that the painstaking work was done. “Don’t you realize it, Tom?” she found herself speaking all of a sudden. “Someone always cares. Someone always cares for you. No matter where you are, no matter where you go.”

She looked up to glare back at those guilty-looking blue eyes that dared to look at her.

“If you snuff out your light, someone’s light will be snuffed out too,” she exclaimed. “You’re the one who finds the bright side in things; of all people, you should know that.” The man suddenly felt himself being extremely bashful and intimidated in front of the girl, a complete irony of his whole persona, as her words sunk like a firm anchor in the depths of his heart.

“ _Someone_ always needs you... _Someone_ always loves you…” Vega whispered in a bitter tone he thought he just imagined. “Even if you think no one does.”

With that, she stood up from her kneeling position beside the sofa where he sat, as she picked up the bandages scattered on the floor, and washed her hands on the bowl of water. The man remained silent, stumped, her words still sinking in his head. However, before she could leave… Tom looked up and spoke to her, gathering all of his courage to ask her a question.

“Do they, really?” he asked hopefully, a bit of energy returning in his eyes as he looked up at her. “You really think _they_ do… love me?”

Vega turned to face him with the bowl of water in hand, only for her to stop and take a second look, only to find that the sparkle in his eyes has returned, a small dash of hope found in those flecks of blue… As if she was seeing the Thain in him, the Thain she thought that died that night.

A small chuckle escaped her as she turned to him and said, “Would _I_ be even here doing first aid if _they_ don’t?” A small smug smile creased out of her mouth when she finished saying the sentence.

And without another word, she turned around and went back to the kitchen.

Tom sat frozen on the couch, his fingers still running over the newly applied bandages, making him wonder why they didn’t ache as it much before. If there was anything aching in him, it was within his chest, as his heart started pumping in a manner it hasn’t done in a span of two years. He suddenly found the courage to get out of bed every morning, the power to do the things he always does, the things he loved, the things he believed in. And of course, he suddenly remembered _that thing_ that happened in Cornwall at the strike of twelve on New Year’s Day.

All of a sudden, _he felt alive again_.

And turning around to watch Vega working around in the kitchen, clearly attempting to hide her annoyance with the way she flung the plastic bowl upside down to dry it out; a powerful resolve formed in Tom’s mind as he realized that now he knew _he had something to fight for._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A nice track for this chapter is Mika’s “Blue Eyes”. You can imagine all the girls singing this to Tom, trying to cheer him up. 
> 
> _“I’m talking about / Blue Eyes, Blue Eyes / What’s the matter matter / So blind so blind / What’s the matter matter / Blue Eyes, Blue Eyes, what’s the matter with you?”_
> 
> Also included in the playlist is Destiny’s Child’s “Emotions”. Seriously, the song belongs to Vega right now. (But honestly, maybe I should have added that track to that chapter when she bursts into tears after Tom’s proposal.)


	36. Fighting Fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As two friends start to get along well with each other, another pair of friends slowly break down into a fighting match that looked like two hissing cats scratching at each other.

**_ [Entry # 25] In need of a pair of new fingerless gloves _ **

_Worst week ever._

_I ended up ruining my fashionable Temt Double-Breasted White Trenchcoat and my favorite white fingerless mittens. You know… the ones you love wearing when it’s not too cold, but not too hot? Thank God the cleaners still accepted them after it took me forever to take out the stains…_

_Know where can I buy fashionable new mittens? Seems like my Temt Trenchcoat can be saved, but not the mittens. They said it was beyond ruined._

_Suggestions will be much appreciated._

**__ **

_ 4 COMMENTS _

_TragicAnon1 – I’m sorry your beautiful clothes were ruined. It’s such a shame, based on the pictures on your blog, they seem to be very fashionable. I hear that Factorie sells a neat pair of fingerless gloves, if that’s your type. However, they’re only sold online._

**_ Miss Star_ ** _RE: Tragic Anon 1 – Yeah I did check the Factorie Outlet in the nearest mall and it seems that they only sell those pairs online. So far the online websites don’t have stock. You seem to be good at this, TA1, what else can you recommend?_

_TragicAnon1 RE: **Miss Star** – I would recommend checking Marie Claye mittens, they have knitted ones. They seem to be your style. I think you’ll like them better, Miss Star. It’s still a shame about your clothes._

**_ Miss Star_ ** _RE: TragicAnon1 – You’re too kind, TA1! Don’t worry about my old clothes. At least I’m getting back my trench. It has too many good memories with it._

 

Shrugging after posting that comment, she decided to leave her blog be after spending most of her day off surfing and abusing the flat’s internet lines, Vega decides to emerge from the confines of her room to finally have breakfast. This is the scene that greets her though: Tom happily cooking in the kitchen while talking on the phone, with a sulking Max sitting on the dining table.

The man was cheerfully chatting with someone on his phone, when he turned around realizing that his other roommate is awake. He eyes Vega for a while, before he turns to Max and smiles, offering her the phone. The woman ends up glaring at him, before she leaves her unfinished breakfast behind as she retreats in the living room, groaning and cursing under her breath. Biting her lip, Vega was 100% sure that she knew who was on the phone.

As Tom made sad little apologies to the person on the other line, Vega sits on the dining table, eyeing Max’s unfinished breakfast. She was licking her lips, about to pick up a bacon off the abandoned plate… when someone suddenly placed a newly cooked English Breakfast on the table in front of her, as they walked away still chatting on the phone, taking a moment to turn around and wink at her… before settling down on the couch.

Vega didn’t smile or wink back… but she just looked at the back of Tom’s head as it bobbed up and down in response to who he was talking, his bandages still visible on his hand… before she looked away and took a big bite of the eggs on her plate.

 

 

This small interaction is a clear reflection of the situation in the flat.

The tension was still there in the form of two roommates not talking… but they were working around each other like clock-work. As if they were dancing to the same music. As if they were in sync.

Not a word was said to each other, but the other’s laundry would be done, the other’s breakfast would be served, the other would have pudding out of nowhere prepared for them in the fridge, the other would pick up another’s mail, and all of a sudden, they’re watching TV on the living room like a brother and sister who learned to keep quiet and make up at the behest of their angry mother.

But not a single word was exchanged in that span of time.

 

 

But things weren’t as easy at the start.

As usual, Vega was being typically aloof as she always was… and Tom was initially sinking into these bouts of silence, where he refuses to come out of his room, missing appointments, and sleeping all day. He would often just come out to attend therapy sessions, and comes home late to have just a little bowl of soup before going before bed.

Max would often call out on Tom to join them for dinner, or Fred would subtly drop by at idle hours (hoping to run into someone) just to check up on his friend. These little gestures does somewhat snap the man out of his lonely stupor, reminding him that he does have some friends… even though his appetite continues to dwindle. Max and Fred do notice it and Tom just jokes about getting in shape for Loki once more… but they all know that he wouldn’t be shooting for the newest Marvel installment till the next summer.

However, slowly… his other roommate tried to reach out to him.

There was one evening where Tom opted to just stay in his room instead of having dinner. He hasn’t gotten around to cooking yet and all he prefers to eat were just small portions… like soup and bread. Max did try to call him out once more, but he declined and pretended to be asleep. Towards midnight, he couldn’t handle his empty stomach anymore, he decided to get out of bed and eat _something_ , anything. However, the moment he tried to exit his room… he almost tripped on a covered tray that was simply placed outside, by the foot of his door. Carrying it in his room, he opened it to find a slightly-cold, but homemade Japanese rice topping that really tasted good.

The next morning he thanked Max for the dinner, saying that it was scrumptious.

To his surprise she answered, “I didn’t cook dinner last night. Vega did.”

Raising his eyebrow, he somewhat felt amused that the woman does cook too. But if there was one thing for sure – his appetite had returned.

 

 

Despite never speaking to him, Vega tried to answer to her “roommate” duties by making sure that her down-in-the-dumps friend gets the moral support he needed. Although giving him a curt smile when she sees him, or a firm nod before she leaves the flat, Vega silently tried to make Tom feel that she was there if he needed someone… although she didn’t feel like talking to him.

But the silent gestures of kindness continued…

Like that one time she slipped a pack of pudding in his room that one evening he didn’t want to eat dinner once more.

There was also an incident when he was miserably staring into space in the living room, sitting on the couch… when Vega suddenly jumped on the arm and landed three seats away from him, grabbed the remote and put the television on “Whose Line Is It Anyway” just for fun. She would laugh out loudly with the jokes… eventually causing her friend to watch as well, as slowly Tom began to snicker with her in the process.

He’d wake up to yellow post-its with smiley faces on them, saying that she just went to Way HQ. Even Max began to follow this kind of writing. There were days when he would find notes that read “Cheer up Loki” with well-drawn horns that only indicated that it was made by the Visual Arts degree-holder.

Day by day, Tom began to forget about things that originally caused him to spiral down into misery… having two friends who tried their best to keep him out of it, especially that _one_ roommate who remained silent, despite trying too hard to keep that smile on his face intact.

 

 

But then slowly, as Tom began to do favors for the girls as well, the sync between the two old best-friends began to show in their daily activities.

There was even one time when Vega had to stay home and do her work after Toph had new interviews by Sasha uploaded to the website, and Daryll was asking her to send some reports on the progress the project was making. But considering that she was one of those half-day leaves, the woman decided to set up tent and create a small part of the living room as her office, ignoring the way Max moped around the flat as she ignored the ringing home phone (to a point that she had to unplug it), or the way Tom was having a silent debate with himself whether to wear a threadbare shirt or a hoodie before he went running that morning.

Drowning her head with songs from Regina Spector, Vega’s concentration was momentarily broken when Max sat beside her, telling her that she’s going out to meet her sister at a coffee shop, and that she shouldn’t answer the phone and unplug it if Tom ever attempts to reconnect it again. Also, not to let anyone in the flat even if Tom wants to. Blinking twice at the woman, Vega found herself shrugging as she went on her way, subtly laughing at how familiar that scenario looked… only for her to frown when she remembered why it seemed so familiar.

Towards lunchtime, Vega would admit that her stomach was growling… but the number of bran bars and wafer crisps were enough to keep her sane. Working against a deadline with a pileup of Excel files to do, she was contemplating of cooking herself something that reminded her of home – if she wasn’t lazy enough to get up from that couch… when the door to the flat suddenly opened.

Unable to look up from her formulas, she could tell who it was just by listening to their footsteps that went straight to the kitchen. She could hear the pantry opening and closing, as well as the refrigerator’s louder hum when its door was opened. Suddenly getting one of Carrie’s panic emails, Vega was in the middle of a growing migraine when she suddenly felt someone set something down on the crowded table – just within her reach.

Adjusting her glasses, Vega decided to reach out to take whatever it was – when she realized that it was a box of Chinese takeaways… just something that was within her craving spectrum.

Opening the box as she sat cross-legged on the couch, Vega wasn’t really willing to look away from the monitor… when she looked down into the box and realized that it was a rice topping meal… something she would consider as her comfort food during really bad days.

Gleefully grabbing a pair of chopsticks also left within reach, Vega grins at emails that would often send her tearing at her hair as she pulls out her favorite kind of spring rolls and takes a big bite, murmuring a muffled version of, “Spring Rolls! My favorite!”

If she even bothered to look at the kitchen, the roommate who was amused by the fact that he actually got something that would make Vega pleasantly happy in her little corner of stress was eating his own box of braised beef. Smiling to himself, Tom decided to stop watching the girl and leave her to her own devices as he quietly ate his lunch from across the room.

 

 

 

***

 

 

This kind of setup continued until that one day when Fred managed to slip past Max’s barriers and arrived at the flat one early morning when Max was off doing errands at the bakery. Bringing in a large box that literally made Tom’s face light up the moment he saw his friend bringing it in, the two literally woke Vega up with the loud crashing sounds coming from the stereo system and the wide-screen TV, when she swore that it was a Sunday and she would like to sleep in past 7:30am.

Peeking out the door, the woman suddenly went wide-eyed at the appearance of the newest Playstation console in their living room, with the two grown men playing with its functions, looking like boys who just unwrapped their presents for Christmas.

“Seems like we’re missing something,” Fred exclaims as he looks around the paper bag, seemingly searching for something.

Connecting the controls to the console, Tom sat cross-legged on the floor in his surf pants. “Please tell me you brought me something substantial to this wonderful find of yours,” he egged on his friend.

“Oh you’ll find this substantial enough,” Fred exclaimed as he brought out a Thor: Ragnarok – a newly released Marvel game out of the bag, causing the man sitting on the floor to squeal about three octaves higher than his usual voice, as the Scot couldn’t stop laughing as he watched the _actual_ God of Mischief grab the game from his hand.

“Oh Fred I could kiss you,” Tom said gleefully as he took the game out of the box and slipped it in the console.

Wincing a bit, but winking at him when he turned around, Fred exclaimed, “Oh I wouldn’t recommend that. I don’t want to be the subject of anger among your fans and… your male cast mates.”

As Tom burst out laughing, Fred smiled to himself having seen that his good buddy was slowly returning to his old self again… laughing and engaging with everyone around him. Even the wounds on his wrists were slowly healing, he didn’t have to wear gloves in public just to hide it. He subtly looked at the slightly open door to the room to his right and smiled knowing that maybe he knew the reason to Tom’s slow yet successful recovery.

“Alright mate, I can get us coffee downstairs,” he exclaimed. “What would you want? What do you think the girls would want?”

Wrinkling his nose, Tom looked up at him and said, “You better go all the way to the Café Puerto. You know that _she_ loves their mocha caramel latte.”

Tapping his lower lip with a thumb, Fred quickly got his car keys and pointed at Tom. “You really do know what I need, don’t you man?” Giggling, the grown thespian sitting on the floor wearing a hoodie over his wifebeater just smiled at his friend. “Now go enjoy yourself Thomas, before some little shrimp comes out and beats you as Thor –“ he exclaimed, walking towards the door.

“Oh no they won’t,” Tom said mischievously as he started the game. “ _I’m_ going to play Thor.”

Laughing to himself, Fred went out the door and closed it behind him.

Watching through the opening credits and reminiscing the time he actually recorded the voices for that particular game, Tom was in the middle of maneuvering Thor through the first challenge when he felt a door open and heard footsteps towards the refrigerator, as it’s door was opened and then closed.

His tongue sticking out a bit of his lip as he was lost in concentration, he suddenly saw someone push a pack of pudding cups towards him on the coffee table, while a small box of Tim Tams were also placed on the surface.

He turned around to see Vega in her jammies and a black Evanescence shirt taking the other controller left on the floor as she plugged it in the console. Smiling to himself, he then surprised the girl by placing down his own controller for the meantime to rip the Tim Tams pack open, eventually sticking a wafer into his mouth.

Making an impressed face, Vega reached over and took a pudding cup before sitting down on the floor. Peeling off the cover and then taking a scoop only to lob the plastic spoon in her mouth, the woman grabbed her controller and then came in as Player 2, making her opponent flash a mischievous smile akin to the God of Mischief who suddenly appeared on the play screen.

 

 _[Player 2] has entered the game as Loki_.

 

Making a surprised face as he turned around to face the woman; Vega just shot back a mischievously sinister smile that made Tom wonder if he should up his villain game… which he can’t since he’s currently playing the good guy.

They were in the middle of silently getting overwhelmed by Dark Elves, there was a knock on the door, causing Tom to silently look at the girl sitting beside him, who just looked on as he put the game on pause while he stood up to answer the door.

“Hey mate!” Fred said happily as Tom grinned back to help him carry the coffee. “I’m ready to beat you down the –“

The tall Scot suddenly turned to look at the living room only to find Vega sitting beside the console with an abandoned controller, with the Player 2 controller sitting snugly in her hands. Blinking twice, he turned to Tom who was pulling out his Skinny Latte, just giving him a random shrug.

“Looks like you already have a playmate,” Fred muttered with a twinkle in his eye to which Tom just grinned back as he resumed towards his spot beside the woman.

With one nod from Vega (who still didn’t say a word to her other roommate), Tom jumpstarted the game, to which the two suddenly snapped on a competitive air… causing Fred, who was watching them with much amusement, to sit on the couch beside them, silently laughing to himself, disbelieving how the once irreconcilable duo were now finally acting just like Thain and Aeoren again… albeit the mute discussion.

He was in the middle of his happy thoughts when all of a sudden, a door bounced open, hitting the wall hard, causing him to turn around and be faced by a stern looking Maxine who obviously wasn’t pleased at all with his presence in the flat.

Remaining silent as he fixed his eyes on her figure that crossed the room to look at the console sitting between her two roommates, Max uttered a line that reeked with annoyance that it threatened to bring in Hades from the underworld himself.

“What’s that?” she asked scornfully.

Vega was about to look up and answer her, when Fred suddenly interrupted her by speaking first. “It’s a Playstation 4, Maximillian,” he answered coolly, causing the girl to mechanically turn in his direction… her eyes glaring at him as if it was about to shoot a laserbeam and vaporize him on the spot.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” she said monotonously.

“Well you’re talking to me now,” Fred shot back as he cradled his face in his open palm, green eyes intent on burning her down.

Gritting her teeth, Max looked down at the console, ignoring the worried and awkward looks from her two other roomies who continued playing the God of Thunder and the God of Mischief amidst the palpable sexual tension in the room that wasn’t _theirs_ for the first time.

“I don’t like it,” Max exclaimed.

“Of course you don’t like it,” Fred said, rolling his eyes. “It’s mine.”

Raising an eyebrow, Max stepped over the console as she turned to glare at Fred in his face. “Well then you better take that damned loud noisy little thing with you and stop torturing this peaceful flat with your stupid devices!”

Wrinkling his nose, wondering why when the woman decided to speak up, it had to be her speaking in such a derisive manner that every word of hers were intended to cut through him like a knife.

“I brought the console for Tom and Vega,” Fred hissed, rising to his full height, dwarfing a stubborn Max. “I didn’t bring it for you. So why don’t you ask your friends first if you can have that ‘disgusting gadget’ thrown away?”

Tom was tempted to pause the game, but with the way he saw Loki just push Thor out of the way and turning to his side a bit to find Vega completely focused in the game, as she started hitting buttons to have the God of Mischief summon an incantation… He just knew he couldn’t put the game on hold right now.

“Pity,” Fred continued, putting his hands on his waist as he licked his lips in glee, having the chance to finally burst through Max’s defenses, watching the girl’s eyes twitch in front of him. “It seems like your friends are enjoying the console right now. It’ll be such a shame to break that kind of fun these two haven’t had for a while –“

The blonde sitting on the floor raised his head to say something, when he suddenly had to shut up when he found his friend’s voice drop into something treacherous.

“- and the console is mine, meaning it’s none of your business.” Fred finished, parting his lips as he glared down at the girl who just opened her mouth in retort and horror, realizing that he just literally burned her down.

“None of my business,” Max exclaimed angrily, nodding her head. “None of my business, huh?”

Fred set his eyes directly at her, unblinking as he said the words, “Yes. None of your business.”

Vega was starting to look up from what she was doing, to a point that a Golem managed to pummel Loki in the head, deactivating a spell that was shielding Thor, knocking both heroes out in the process. Even Tom had to look up from the screen, raising an eyebrow with what was going on.

Backing away from the man who was probably 6”4, Max looked away from those piercing green eyes and said, “Are you telling me that what happened at the Labyrinth was none of my business too?!”

Rolling his eyes and looking away, Fred exclaims, “And we _finally_ get there.”

“You have all the fucking nerve to show your face here after all that _shit_ you caused me back at New Years, Mister McAllister? How dare you? _How dare you?!_ ” Max was literally losing herself now, screaming in front of a really dumbfounded Tom and Vega, whose gameplay were completely forgotten.

“Pardon me,” Fred charged back, causing the girl to back off. “But everything _I expressed at the Labyrinth was completely sincere and from the uttermost depth of my own emotions_ , so don’t you damn take that against me, woman.”

Tom literally dropped his jaw and turned to look at the girl who sat beside him who was her jaw unhinged as well, but without any answers to provide for him.

“Well then,” Max exclaimed, lifting her nose up. “I’ll be taking _this_ one against you then.” Without another word, she spun on her heels.

She was about to march back into her room, when Fred suddenly grabbed her wrist and exclaimed, “Don’t walk away from me, missy – we’re not yet done!” when all of a sudden, Max turned around and backhanded him on the face, causing Tom to drop a new Tim Tam wafer on his lap and for Vega to almost choke on her spoon of pudding as they paused on their gameplay for a few bites while they were watching the entire exchange.

Shocked and horrified, Fred just managed to look on with a reddening cheek as the girl in question marched back into her room and slammed the door at his face.

Running his hands on his cheeks, the man just ended up growling hard before raising them up in the air, muttering, “ _State a’ ya!_ I’m done, I’m so effin’ done…” before going out of the door, slamming it behind him as well.

Silence then filled the living room.

Seeing that Thor and Loki were already unconscious and a _[CONTINUE?]_ sign was blinking on the screen for the past ten minutes, as the two players who were supposed to be paying attention to their characters were just completely frozen in complete surprise and shock with what just transpired in the flat. Tom managed to put the game on pause and turned to face his seatmate, who didn’t know what to say either… Considering that the row Fred and Max just had happened to sound _just so familiar_.

“What the hell was that?!” Vega finally spurted out, breaking their one-week silence.

Tom turned to her, seemingly bemused with hearing her voice once again.

“Beats me.”

 

 

***

 

 

_[Player 2 has been defeated. Peace is restored in Asgard.]_

 

“Come on!” Vega exclaimed, throwing the console on the couch. Tom was sniggering in his corner as he watched the girl stand up and pace, making faces at the screen. “That was a motherfucking good counter spell and fucking Scarlet Witch comes out of nowhere and undoes it?! Fucking Avengers, why are they in this game?”

“You’re really sounding like me now,” Tom teased, blue eyes sparkling.

“Oh shut up,” Vega shot back. “You’re playing Thor, you effin’ cheat.”

As the two of them end up laughing at each other, Vega found herself smiling brightly at the fact that Tom was being his old self again… and the man was relieved that she started speaking once more. But the moment they stopped snickering with the background music being soft and idle on the wide-screen television, they were suddenly jarred by the loud metal soundtrack that was coming from Max’s room.

“She hasn’t come out of her room for an hour now,” Tom whispered as he shut down the console, getting to his feet. His videogame playmate was staring at the girl’s room as well, hands on her waist, tongue against the inside of her cheek as she perused her thoughts on the row Fred and Max had earlier.

“So she’s really that angry huh?” Vega thought out loud, as she completely ignored how her male roommate picked up the chocolates and the pudding, putting them back in the refrigerator.

Wiping his hands on his pants, Tom winced and asked, “What really happened that night between those two?”

Vega turned around and faced him… the calculating expression on her face melting as she looked at him, remembering what _happened between the two of them_ that same night. For a moment, remembering how Tom reacted (although she doesn’t blame the man, she did have an impeccable wreck of a timing despite just trying to faze him out of that aching heartbreak), she found herself sighing as she looked away. The man on the other hand stood there stock still, waiting for an answer, unaware of what was truly in her mind.

“I can’t talk about it here,” Vega whispered as she stretched, making her way towards her room.

Smirking, Tom crossed his arms and watched as she turned around to look at him the moment she had her hand on the knob. “Want to talk about it somewhere else?”

Vega blinked. “Steam Room.”

“Fred might be there. I’d suggest another café.”

Dragging her lip far to the right, a cute gesture Vega always does when she’s deep in thought after an idea has been shot down, she suddenly snaps her fingers and says, “I know the best place.”

Nodding at her, Tom then quickly ran to his room.

In less than fifteen minutes, they were out of their house clothes, dressed casually decent clothing, as Tom left Max a written note on the dining table that he just went out for a walk while Vega sent Max a text that she just went to the convenience store.

 

 

***

 

 

“Why does it have to be here?”

Vega wearily gave a waiter a wave as she occupied a leather seat in the Orleans Café, as she waited for her companion to plop on the other side of the round couch, looking a bit twitchy and bitter as he looked around the place, seemingly disliking it.

Rolling her eyes and sighing, she decided to compose herself before smiling at her friend. “It’s the most inconspicuous place, Thain,” she explained, putting her small hands on the table before the two of them. “You did say that Max tends to hang around the Gould’s below our flat, while Fred frequents the Steam Room where he gets his favorite brew,” she said as-a-matter-of-factly, ignoring the way Tom frowned. “So Orleans it is.”

Wrinkling his nose, the man had to momentarily smile when a waiter handed him a menu. “This place brings back such bad memories…”

Looking up from her menu, Vega found herself glancing at the man who was slowly sinking back into that fucked up mess she saw after Cornwall, suddenly remembering that Orleans was the café they went to when Tom got back from an LA Press Junket two years ago… when she told him that she _wasn’t ready_. As bitter as it is, Vega pursed her lips, crossed her arms, and crumpled the napkin that was on her hand’s reach.

“Oh poo, Thain,” she mused as she sat up, glaring at him. “Stop being so sentimental –“ Tom’s eyes suddenly widened when the woman flung the crumpled napkin at his chest, causing him to catch it, frown comically, and set it to the side. But the moment Vega flashed that knowing half-grin, half-smirk, he couldn’t help but laugh at what just happened.

To which the man’s demeanor suddenly changed, his eyes narrowing down at her as he bowed his head a bit, an ominous aura surrounding him. “ _Sentiment, you say?_ ” he whispered as he brought his hands together, making Vega wince, recognizing the persona as the sinister God of Mischief that she was controlling on Playstation earlier.

Pushing her menu aside, she suddenly stood up and leaned over the table, bopping Tom’s nose in order to snap him out of it.

“Bad Loki! Bad Loki! Begone! We don’t need your mischief right now, scoot!” she exclaimed, bopping the man twice on the tip of his nose, causing Tom to burst out laughing as the girl fell back on her seat… unable to stop herself from giggling at what she just did as well.

For a moment, it seemed like all their troubles, everything that happened in Cornwall, and the numerous heartaches Tom had to deal with… at that moment, _they were all washed away_. All he could remember was how light he was feeling, how Vega was also laughing back at him, and how he realized he missed that little voice giggling like a set of little bells that woke him up everyday –

He was in the middle of admiring how she hid her face behind her menu, still trying to compose herself, when he knew he had to behave when the waiter came around to take their orders.

As they had to tone down their high-strung demeanor, Tom decided to settle for some tea, while Vega decided to order a caramel latte, with the man smirking candidly to the side, noting how it’s not going to help with how hyperactive the two of them seemed to be.

While waiting for their orders, the two calmed down as Vega took out her phone checking her messages. Suddenly noticing the giant crack on the screen, Tom raised an eyebrow and asked her, “What happened to your phone?”

Parting her lips as she subtly looked at the man, looked him in the eye… her eyes subtly going down at his fingerless gloves, before she placed the phone upside down on the table. “Dropped it,” she answered simply, as the man eyed her curiously, sensing the way her mood suddenly changed.

“Anyway,” she suddenly piped up, changing the subject. “To business.”

Tom then straightened himself up, as the waiter arrived with their drinks. He then eyed the girl who played with the edge of her bangs, brown eyes darting about before taking a deep breath as she crossed her arms and looked right at him.

“What exactly do you know of the incident that happened between Jade and Baldain at the maze that night?” she asked him sternly.

Twiddling his fingers and then randomly running his hands through his collar, Tom shot her a sheepish smile as he tried to remember and piece up the information he got from Fred while they were chatting in the van.

“I’m quite not sure,” he exclaimed, recalling the way Fred scratched his head and shrugged when Tom finally asked him on the trip home why Max was so unapproachable. “As I gather from what I have heard – Fred has said something that upset Max?”

Vega let out a small sarcastic and mocking chuckle.

“What?” Tom exclaimed, spreading out his hands in a questioning gesture. “What is something I said –“

Exhaling and smiling at the man she calls “brother”, Vega gives him that knowing look that sends a shiver down Tom’s spine – a feeling he hasn’t had for quite a long time. “Oh dear brother, there is much you have to discover,” she mused as the man sat back against the couch, pursing his lips as he did so.

Running a hand through her hair, still sporting a mischievous smile, Vega grinned back at him and started talking about that scoop Mari gave her that New Year morning.

“Let’s just say that in their attempt to find the other’s husband,” the woman started as she started tracing the cracks on her iPhone’s screen. “They came across Fred being snogged by that woman you know so well,” she raised her eyebrow and put on a mocking (yet suggestively flirty) grin for him. “That woman you took to the premiere I wasn’t able to go to –“

“ ** _FRED KISSED LIA?!_** ” he burst with those words.

Nodding her head to the right, Vega said as-a-matter of factly, “My sentiments exactly, but I would have to correct you – _Lia kissed Fred_.” Tom ended up closing his unhinged jaw as he sat back on his side of the couch, after leaning over in shock once he heard the actual anecdote.

“Anyway,” Vega continued, twirling a part of her fringe around her finger. “Fred managed to chase Max and Mari when they suddenly left… and the man tried apologizing to my deranged buddy. You know how that woman tends to be so overtly emotional… And he ended up kissing her.”

The expression of shock and disbelief on Tom’s face was golden.

Crossing her arms, Vega leaned back on her seat and smiled. “You know what happened next. Max slaps him in the face, and the rest is history.”

Whistling low, the man shakes his head as he takes a sip of his tea. “That’s quite a mess…”

“You said it,” Vega exclaimed.

“It’s really about time that Fred did something about his little frustrations,” he said with a small smile, causing Vega to grin as well. “But I cannot believe that Lia kissed Fred…”

Rolling her eyes, Vega took her spoon and started turning it around in her latte. “Well,” she whispered under her breath. “I can’t believe you fucked Lia –“

“Excuse me?”

Vega took a sip of her latte, before flicking those sarcastic eyes at the man who seemingly was offended with her statement. “Don’t tell me that you’re going to deny that statement Fred was literally screaming outside the Master’s Suite,” the woman exclaimed, causing the man to cross his arms and slightly glare at her. “Or are you?”

Gritting his teeth, Tom shook his head and said, “I didn’t fuck Lia, alright.”

But seeing the disbelieving eyes on the woman sitting right across him, all he could do was groan.

Bringing his hands together and then creating a gesture of partially flinging them on the table, the man tried to find his words. “Lia tried to _comfort_ me,” he exclaimed, trying to reason out that to woman who was sporting a sarcastic look on her face. “I refused to.”

Vega blinked at the man who used to take several women to his room, two at a time even, as she bewilderedly listened to him say that he refused to fuck a beautiful woman whom he has bedded before.

“Fred must have seen her leaving my room,” Tom said exhaustedly as he spun his tea around on its coaster. “But I didn’t touch her. I didn’t touch any _inch_ of her.”

Vega let out a small snigger. “You didn’t touch her?” she said sarcastically.

“I didn’t.”

The woman still wasn’t sold with his words. Clearly, there was a reason why. “Well that’s a pity,” she whispered, taking another sip of her coffee. “You did say _before_ that she was quite the scrumptious treat in bed –“

“Should we really bring this up again, Vega?”

The girl looked at the man who was clearly feeling uncomfortable, but with the way he sadly looked down at the table, the way his lips were pursed, Vega already knew he was telling the truth. The girl just refused to recognize that the angry woman talking right now was a product of an old ache that was never truly resolved a long time ago…

“You do know that this discussion of an issue long forgotten and resolved wouldn’t really help with our problems right now,” he whispered, those piercing blue eyes probing her snarky expression. “Especially now that she’s literally Max and Fred’s problem too.”

Placing her cup down with a thud, Vega clasped her hands together and took a deep breath.

“Fine,” she said through gritted teeth. “If we’re just going to fight over something you claim as _obsolete –_ “

Tom rolled his eyes. “It is obsolete.”

“—Then let’s put it behind us. Let’s focus on Max and Fred,” she said diplomatically. “Would that be fine with you?”

The man then smiled, dropping that annoyed demeanor he was sporting all of a sudden. “That would be fine with me.”

Nodding at him, Vega extended a hand. “Let’s shake on it then.”

Tom wouldn’t admit it but he was sporting a small bashful smile as he hesitated for a moment to reach out across the table to give her hand a gentle grip and a small shake. He would like to think that it’s two friends sealing a deal, but somehow, deep inside of him… it was like healing an old wound that caused a tornado in the first place.

 

 

***

 

 

“She’d been calling him a man-whore the entire time we were drinking,” Vega said with a chuckle, pushing aside her empty coffee cup. “It was hilarious at the same time rude, but you just couldn’t help laughing at it.”

Tom clucked his tongue. “Fred’s not gonna be happy about it,” he exclaimed, running his thumb on his chin. “But I’d say that he’d better get used to it. As if he hadn’t had the woman screaming at him from time to time even before the New Year’s trip.”

Vega ended up shaking her head laughing, ignoring the way the man smiled at her, enjoying her company. However, she didn’t notice how his smile often disappears when he finds her playing with that black opal ring on her finger.

“It’s such a shame though,” she suddenly spoke up, an air of melancholy on her face. “Who knew that Max actually had feelings for Fred all along? She must have felt so terrible finding him liplocked with another woman…”

Tom placed a hand behind his head and snorts sarcastically at her statement, causing the girl to raise an eyebrow.

“It’s pretty obvious, Vega,” he exclaims. “Haven’t you seen them bicker like an old married couple? They do it every day before Cornwall, don’t tell me you didn’t see that! Their chemistry is really off the charts, you can’t deny them anymore once you’ve experienced it.”

The man then sighs as he plays with an unused spoon on the table. “It’s just a shame that Fred wasn’t able to express his true feelings for the woman… Because Max shot him down before he could even have his chance…”

Vega suddenly parted her lips, realizing his words. Looking up at him with those conflicted and troubled brown-eyes, she suddenly realized that Tom was glancing at her suggestively as well, a bit of a frown on those thin lips as he seemingly eyed her, waiting for her to say something. What Vega couldn’t say was she clearly felt disturbed, since all of a sudden… Max and Fred’s predicament sounded so _familiar_ like it happened to her before… Or it happened before _to the two idiots sitting across each other that moment in the Orleans Café years ago_ …

Interrupting the awkward silence by running his hands against his lips, Tom raised an eyebrow at his companion and said, “Would you think it would be wrong for us to interfere?”

Taking a deep breath as she played with a spare table napkin, Vega looked back up at him with worried eyes as she said, “They might end up setting the flat on fire if we don’t.”

Tom then grins as he set the spoon he was playing down the table. “Who else are supposed to stop them?”

Looking down and smiling brightly to herself, Vega knew exactly what her friend was getting at, and judging the mischievous look on his face… they were both thinking of the same thing. They have seen how Max and Fred were at it, though their two respective best-buddies never acted on their attraction towards each other – even if the two did drunkenly make out during their first trip to Cornwall. Glancing at the small grin Tom was wearing, Vega knew he probably had plans… a lot of mischievous plans.

“I think I like that idea,” she said, squinting a bit, pointing at him, with the smile constant on her lips.

“Just like old times, isn’t it Aeoren?” Tom whispered, leaning over the table as he extended a hand.

The girl nods back and chuckles silently as she returned the handshake. “Glad to have you back, brother dear.”

Sealing the deal, the two were surprised that they were able to pull-off this really old Mercenary Handshake that the two randomly invented when they were at the Orleans Café the first time around after Fred’s drunken stint at Lucky Voice.

And of course, the two just couldn’t stop grinning with that mischievous plot at hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They say it’s a plot, but it seems like _something_ else is being developed – rather, revived – in this case. But it’s such a comforting thought to have Thain and Aeoren back on the prowl, speaking, and on _really _good terms. And they’re going to trap Max and Fred, how fun is that? With this, I’m going to explore the Thain/Aeoren BROTPS… before moving on to… _*coughs*_ complex plots.__


	37. A Traditional Strategy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom and Vega aim for a traditional strategy in attempting to have Max and Fred confront their issues. The question is: Will it work?

Max woke up to the sounds in the kitchen as early as 7am.

When she opened the door to her room, she was greeted by the sight of Vega in her corporate clothes, running around the living room barefoot, trying to pack everything in her messenger bag. Tom on the other hand was up and awake as well, returning to his spot in front of the stove, cooking breakfast as he usually does… before he went on that sexually-infused rampage and getting into a steady relationship that cascaded downhill.

Pulling a file from under the couch as her “brother” suggested, Vega sighed in relief as she kissed the paper and stashed it in her bag. Grabbing her high-heeled pumps and hopping on one foot as she struggled to wear the other; she was fiddling with her phone as she hopped towards the dining table, with Tom sliding a full plate of waffles and fruit on the surface.

Taking a Lock & Lock container from her messenger bag, she takes the plate of waffles and slides them in the container, giving her male roommate a friendly smile as he turns around to look at what she’s doing while still cooking more waffles on his pan.

“Ready to go?” Tom asks.

She nods. “Yep,” she answers. “See ya!”

Giving her a small wave with a noticeable wink, he had this smile on his face he couldn’t wipe away as she made for the door and had it shut behind her.

He was about to return to his cooking, when he noticed the gloomy-looking woman standing in her doorway, staring at the activities that happened in the flat for the past ten minutes as if it was part of a surreal, upside-down world.

“Morning Max,” Tom said politely, returning the same grin he had for his other roommate to the scowling woman who approached the dining table. “We’re having waffles for breakfast. Would you like some?”

“Sure,” she exclaimed, as the man placed a plate in front of her. “You sure this doesn’t have some ‘uppers’ in it, ne?”

Raising an eyebrow, Tom exclaimed, “I beg your pardon?”

Curling her lip, the brunette stabbed one waffle ominously as she looked up at her male roommate with a treacherous glare. “Well, it seems like you two are on Prozac or something –“ she said crassly, stuffing her mouth with her breakfast. “A few days ago, you were both bleaker than Haiyan hitting the Philippine Islands –“

Tom just clucked his tongue at his dreary friend and exclaimed cheerfully, “Oh hush Max. Just enjoy the sunshine.”

Ending his note with a bright smile, he went back to frying his own batch as the woman sitting on the table wondered what was going on that turned two of her typical warring roommates into civilized human beings who actually _got along_ with each other.

 

 

***

 

 

“Congratulations my dear friends,” Vega exclaimed triumphantly, strutting in that fine corporate ensemble she was wearing. Walking in front of her team that was comprised of an intently listening Carrie, a perpetually distracted Sasha, a perpetually distracted Toph who’s looking at Carrie’s direction, and a perpetually pissed-off August who sat in a corner of the conference room; despite the distractions, their Editor certainly looked pleased.

“The website got 250,000 hits thanks to that Shia Labeouf scoop, and they can’t wait for our announced prank-segments with Nick Frost and Simon Pegg,” the Head Editor exclaimed as she walked around the room, dressed in a white polo shirt with puffed sleeves, a black vest and a pair of slacks, her scarf unraveled, lying on the chair she left behind.

“Seems like the Board decided to provide us another extension for this year’s budget with our good performance,” Vega exclaimed happily, putting her hands together. “Not to mention how our Launch went well… That means more hard work for us!”

As happy murmurs were exchanged among her coworkers, August suddenly made a face and raised a hand. “What about that photoshoot with Helen Mirren about her BAFTA win? Shouldn’t we be in that too? I didn’t see it in the agenda –“

Flipping through the printed agenda for the New Year that Vega had distributed amongst her team members, she began scanning the document and then nodding in response to the man’s inquiry, ignoring the way Sasha rolled her eyes at August.

“Well seems like I haven’t had that covered,” Vega said shrugging. “We’ll add to that –“

“Sharp, Guererro,” August snapped subtly. “Very sharp.”

Yawning, Sasha raised a hand, trying to catch the Editor’s attention. “I’ll be covering that one if you don’t mind, Vey,” she spoke suddenly, ignoring the anguished expression on August’s face.

Shrugging, Vega got the drift and said, “Sure no problem, Sash.”

Flinging the agenda in his folder on the conference table, everyone suddenly turned to look at the oldest man in the room. “That’s not fair, Vega! I was the one who suggested it –“

Just when he was about to throw a tantrum, the conference room landline phone started ringing.

Looking miffed, Vega walked over to the phone and shot back at August, “Stop being so constipated Gus. You can find another event you can add to the agenda that is better than Mrs. Tingle and the BAFTAS –“ Picking up the phone, Vega spoke to the receiver an agitated, “Hello?”

Her eyes suddenly widened upon what the person on the other line has to say, before she had to put it down and look at her team who was wondering what that phonecall was all about.

“Alright,” Vega exclaimed, raising an eyebrow. “Carrie, you take over –“ she said as she pulled the blonde off her chair. “You go talk about your new layouting proposal for the site, and tell me later what the others thought about it.”

She then left the flabbergasted girl in the middle of the room as she headed for the closed double doors.

“Wait,” August called out randomly. “Where are you going?”

Having opened one door, Vega turned around, eyes raised, wondering why the man who was earlier berating her was suddenly concerned about where she was disappearing to. “Security says there’s a package for me,” she answers as-a-matter-of-factly. “I’ll go check out what it is and I’ll be right back.”

She was gone even before anyone could react, with their faces discombobulated as the Junior Writer started to nervously talk about her proposal.

Vega had barely exited the elevator once she got to the lobby, when there was a huge swarm of people surrounding her destination – the reception area.

Wondering if a celebrity was out there for a photoshoot and for some goddamned reason the agency did not send security again, Vega squinted through her specs when she realized that the swarm of people _weren’t fans_ at all… but employees from Way. She moved closer, walking past two flabbergasted tall PR officers who were obviously newbies, as she tried to squeeze herself between two fashion department girls who were on the verge of squealing when she started to approach the security guard who was standing beside some guy with two huge bouquet of flowers.

Recognizing the Security as Steve, Vega raised a hand over the swarm of people, trying to get his attention. Steve managed to spot her right away, asking her to come closer, trying to move people away in front of him, as he attempted to make a path for the Editor to pass through. Vega was in the middle of mouthing the words – “What’s going on –“

When all of a sudden, the man standing beside Steve brought one of the big bouquet of colorful flowers down from his face, placing them on reception table, trying to brush the smiling people around him with a polite grin and kind words… When he suddenly saw her and turned those brilliantly blue eyes in her direction, with a wide grin plastered on his face.

“ _Aeo-sissy!_ ”

Vega’s resolve to get to the front of the crowd suddenly disappeared as she disbelievingly gaped at the man standing in front of reception, when she was almost pushed back by one excited girl from Promotions, jumping up and down having seen Tom Hiddleston for the first time.

“Hey! Be careful –“ he suddenly called out as he extended a hand to help Vega out of the surprise mosh-pit, as the girl steadied herself on those pumps as she held on her best-friend’s hand for dear life.

Getting a hold of herself as she was almost crushed by the number of people crowding her, her actor-friend, and the lone security guard trying to call for backup – the woman looked at the sea of random Way employees from different departments, treating Tom’s presence as if it was the Donmar Gala Show of Coriolanus. Completely at a loss on how to escape the situation (not to mention the fact that she’s still shocked with the fact that it was _Tom_ who started all of this), she looked around and at the reception area for something to help them get out of this mess…

Seeing the entire riot happening in front of reception, she found herself grabbing the megaphone forgotten behind the reception area.

 

“ **ALL RIGHT BOYS AND GIRLS MOVE BACK THIS IS AN OFFICIAL BUSINESS, PLEASE STOP CROWDING IN FRONT OF MR. HIDDLESTON –“**

 

With her small voice amplified more than twice, Vega surprised even herself when the entire crowd calmed down. Even Steve and Tom were astounded with what she just did, as she blinked twice when she set the megaphone down on the reception area.

Everyone was looking at her with wide-eyes, wondering how a woman that petite can summon up her courage to calm an entire crowd down. Tom on the other hand was impressed with the feat she just accomplished, wondering if he could use her the next time he gets swarmed down by his fans… But he knows that it’s not really a good idea.

Taking advantage of the situation, Vega quickly grabbed the bouquet lying on the reception table and tugged at her brother’s hand… as she dragged him at the back of the Lobby where the service elevators are. To their luck, none of the other professional Way media personnel, who were transformed into screaming fanboys and fangirls, were able to follow them because of the shock the Way Celebrity Showdown Editor has delivered to the crowd.

Steve however, got the drift and started shooing the flabbergasted crowd back to their respective departments.

“Nothing to see here, move along.”

 

 

***

 

 

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR ASGARDIAN MIND?!!”

Placing the bouquet of daisies and lilies on a conference room round table, Tom turned around to grin at the small girl leaning on the front door, looking at him up and down as she gaped at him in shock. “That’s a nice one!” he claimed cheerfully, blue eyes twinkling. “I’ll make note of that one, sissy –“

Taking her glasses off and growling at him, Vega had to compose herself and calm herself down the moment Tom widened his eyes in astonishment because of the woman’s sudden feral demeanor.

“Thain,” she said exasperatedly. “ ** _What. Are. You. Doing. Here?!”_**

The man bit his lip and sort of shook the bouquet of variously colored roses in his hands that he carefully retrieved from his exasperated friend, before picking up the mix of daisies and lilies on the table… sort of shaking them randomly in Vega’s face, making her nose burn with the mixed sweet fragrances.

“So what do you think?” Tom said enthusiastically? “Daisies, Lilies, or Roses?”

Vega found herself gaping at the man, with her jaw unhinged, hands outstretched in a shocked and questioning gesture… as Tom played with the sample bouquets he had in his arms, turning to grin brightly at his sister, as if he just won a giant teddy bear in the fair and he wanted to flaunt it at her.

“I—“ the woman exclaimed as she palmed her face, taking her glasses off. “I was in the middle of a Launch Meeting with my team…” she bites on the end of her glasses, trying to ignore the mischievous smile that was spreading on Tom’s face, reminding her of that one time he was in Loki’s costume, giggling at how she literally broke down upon seeing him. “And you’re ASKING ME IF I WANT DAISIES OR ROSES?”

“You forgot the lilies –“

“TOM!!!”

Suddenly seeing a flash coming from between the blinds of the conference room, Vega quickly shoved her roommate down on an empty chair, before taking a peek through the window. Seeing a whole platoon of contracted photographers have been crowding outside the obscure conference room, the woman let out a loud whine, before opening the door, startling a bunch of individuals with their DSLRs strung around their neck.

“Okay boys,” she said through gritted teeth. “Where’s your permits?”

“But ma’am, we need just one shot of Mr. Hiddleston –“

Eyes widening and nostrils flaring, Vega put her hands on her hips and exclaimed out loud, “Don’t let me get Ross Clayburne.”

Now you see, Ross Clayburne is the visuals manager of Promotions, the one who handles all of the photographer activities, contracted or employed. He was this big man, with the demeanor of a bouncer, and a British villain, thanks to his goatee – and if he does find out you’re one of his men (or women) without a permit, you’re sure going to get a beating. Okay maybe not a physical beating, but a mean reprimand. Vega witnessed it once when she was still a Promotional Officer – having seen the man rip a photographer’s picture to shreds, after specifically ordering the entire cluster not to take a photo of a celebrity whose name she forgot at an event she also cannot recall. In fact, it was Ross whom Holly contacted to intercept the images of Vega and Tom at the Prince of Wales theatre two years ago. And it was Ross whom she filed a letter to have all the contracted photographers who may have gotten a scoop on Tom’s hospitalization, to discard their photos. The man is a hurricane, despite standing strong and still as a tree… a force that cannot be reckoned with.

Upon hearing Ross name, all of them slowly backed away, horrified looks on their faces. Eventually, after a few minutes, the entire hallway was empty.

Exhaling in relief as she wondered how the three of them managed to evade the press and the media in the flat, and then she realized that maybe it had to do something with Fred’s strategic planning and probably Luke’s confidentiality clauses.

“Ooooh,” Tom cooed the moment Vega closed the door behind her. “Aeoren scared all the people away. I’m impressed.”

She turned to look at him as if he was a little annoying five-year-old child who had ransacked her office and ate all the Skittles she hid in her office drawer. Crossing her arms, she tried so hard not to break her glasses in her other hand as she frowned hard enough to try and get the message through the man who was busy giggling in his chair, dressed in a fine turtleneck that was covered up by this Armani Exchange jacket he must have had for years.

“Your floral emergency must be so important that you had me corralling _all of_ _Way Magazine_ out of the picture just so they wouldn’t hound you, Thomas,” she said excruciatingly as she picked up the bouquet of daisies on the table, threatening to slam it down on his face. Tom had to put up a hand to shield himself, but he seriously couldn’t stop laughing.

“I’m sorry,” he exclaimed, still _ehehehehe_ -ing all the way. “I thought it was a good idea to give you a visit,” he said grinning, looking around the empty conference room as he placed his hands on his thighs. “See how my favorite Promotional Officer sister has been doing.”

Vega blinked and leaned on the table, realizing that it was hard not trying to smile at this man.

“Well it turns out she has turned into this scary dominatrix,” Tom exclaimed, waving his hands comically, making a silly face as he tried to imitate an agitated photographer. “Who keeps scaring the poor press people away –“

Vega raised an eyebrow and raised the bouquet of lilies in her hands.

“Alright, alright,” Tom exclaimed as he brought his hands down, trying to shield himself from the inevitable again. “I’m sorry if I came up unannounced,” he exclaimed, a bit of tongue poking out of his mouth as he laughed, causing Vega to sigh as she set the flowers down once more. “I just had this grand idea for our little Max/Fred operation and I couldn’t wait to share it with you!”

Wincing, Vega found herself looking at the flowers, suddenly getting the drift. “Seriously Thomas?” she exclaimed. “Flowers are your plan?”

Shrugging as he smiled sheepishly at the woman standing (somewhat) tall in front of him, power-stancing with those pumps; he timidly fingered the stems of the bouquets before bringing his hands together. “Well it’s one way to start,” he said, lower lip twitching to the left, trying to find a way to explain himself – or at least recall the words he was repeating in his head on his way to the Headquarters. “It’s a friendly sincere gesture of love, works mostly with the female population the last I remembered…”

Pursing her lips, Vega looked at the cluster of florals again. “You really think flowers would work on the spawn of sarcasm named Max Gilligan?!” she said exasperatedly, as Tom winced again.

“Well –“

Realizing her ironic bout of sarcasm, Vega caught a hold of herself and backed off a bit, apologizing. “Sorry, sorry,” she exclaimed, identifying the enthusiasm on Tom’s face. “You see, if we have to be serious about this little operation we’re going to execute – we have to make sure that Max actually falls for it…”

“And Fred too,” Tom added, making a gesture with his hands by pointing his fingers at her.

Nodding, Vega puts her hands on her waist again, trying to think. “You really need me to make a decision with you on the flowers?!” she said, wincing. “Can’t you make this one yourself, Thain –“

Shrugging and putting his hands up, Tom exclaimed, “Forgive me darling, but I need a woman’s opinion! And you’re the best opinion I can think of!”

Tilting her head as she parted her lips, she felt herself looking at him, searching for some truth in what he just said. Sure it made her a teeny bit uncomfortable, but for Tom - she has been the best kind of comfort he’s been experiencing for the past few weeks, ever since he recovered from that emotional trauma he had spread all around the flat.

“Flattered,” she said crisply and professionally, ignoring the bashful little smile the man suddenly sported as he tore his eyes away from her to run those long fingers on the stems of the white, red, and pink roses. “But honestly,” she raises the bouquet of daisies again. “Daisies?”

Tom gently takes it from her hands and sniffs the beautiful white buds. “Aren’t daisies the friendliest flowers?” he exclaims with much sweetness, the spark appearing in those sapphire eyes once more.

Grabbing the bouquet from him, Vega scoffed, “Oh shut up, Thain. I’ve watched ‘You’ve Got Mail’ a dozen times and hearing you say that makes it cheesier.”

Tom just giggled at her.

Turning the flowers around her fingers as she peered at the daisies and the mix of lilies, Vega found herself sitting on a swivel office chair just across her best-friend, seemingly deep in thought as she spun the chair from left to right, and fro.

“I think I’m more for the roses,” she exclaimed, tongue against the wall of her cheek, thinking.

“The red ones?” Tom asked, leaning forward on his chair.

Vega shook her head. “Too romantic,” she exclaimed, eyes plastered on the yellows of the flowers in front of her. “We’re not aiming for romantic yet. Maybe later, but at least the idea is there…”

Putting his hands together as he listened intently to what she had to say, Tom ended up grinning to himself. “I’d say go for the white roses,” he suggested, to which Vega nodded. “It’s probably not as blatant as the red ones, and not too vague as the pink ones,” he exclaimed, nudging a petal on a dangling bud with one long finger.

“White roses it is then,” Vega exclaimed with finality as she stood up.

The man stood up to his towering full height too, wearing a satisfied expression on his place. He turned to look at the little girl as he opened his mouth about to say something – When Vega suddenly raised an eyebrow at him, as if she was wondering why he was still standing there.

“I – I don’t think the roses would be enough,” Vega suddenly spoke, snapping Tom out of his trance.

Raising his eyebrows, looking like a confused puppy, he went, “How come?”

Putting a thumb on her lip, Vega suddenly found herself deep in thought. Never has she seen herself slowly become this invested in a foolish little plot… but somehow she felt like she had to. Max is her best friend, and Frederick is truly a good man even if the latter couldn’t see it… and someone who clearly has fallen in love can see the traces of it in the two frustrated beings who literally were about to hurt each other if they weren’t stopped.

And looking up at her best-friend who was waiting for her to speak, Vega knows that Tom’s worried about the same thing too.

And considering her experience with flowers?

It is not enough.

“Flowers may have meanings,” Vega exclaimed, shifting her weight to another leg. “But sometimes some women are too oblivious to see the meaning behind it. As much as women tend to be more romantic and subjective than men –“ she eyed her friend from head to toe. “—Though I beg to differ, the one woman we are dealing with is a bit too stubborn to read between the lines.”

“Point taken,” her tall friend nods as he brings his hands together.

Sighing as she looked back at the flowers, Vega exclaimed, “It has to be accompanied by something else…”

“What about a letter?”

It looks as if she suddenly had a lightbulb pop on her head as she pointed at the man who just smiled brightly back at her. “Exactly!” she exclaimed. “That would top off the plan –“ Vega started rubbing her hands together. “I can write the letter –“

“Just send it to me and I’ll forge it in Fred’s handwriting,” Tom exclaimed, slipping his hands in his pockets. “His curves and swivels are a bit tricky, but after having to deal with his notes back in Univesity, I can handle it. And I think it’s more believable if a man writes it – not that your handwriting is illegible, darling –“

Vega’s mouth twitched as she looked at him, those brown eyes accented with a glare.

Raising his hands up, Tom giggled and said, “Alright, alright! I’ll take care of the letter – just send it to me when you finish it. And you better go back; they might be looking for you…”

Her eyes flitting to the floor as she uncrossed her arms, she nodded, a bit of peace settling in that small face that was contorted with shock, exasperation, exhaustion, and ten other expressions all at the same time earlier. “Yeah I need to go back…”

Smiling sheepishly as he scooped up one bouquet, he saw Vega pick up the daisies as well and was about to hand it to him… as she tore her eyes from his face, seemingly deep in thought. As she handed the bouquet to the man, Tom generously took the flowers from the girl – before suddenly grabbing her hand hidden under all that fabric wrapping, only to yank it so he could plant a quick kiss on her knuckles.

“Thank you so much, Aeo-sissy,” he said quickly, sporting a mischievous smile as she stared at him in surprise after what he just did, causing her to yank her hand out of his, simultaneous with the way he released her fingers. “You’ve been a great help! I’ll go get the biggest bouquet now –“

Making a run for the door even before she could react with her jaw dropped, Tom nearly yanked it open when the girl wearing a horrified look suddenly screamed out –

“WAIT! TOM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING –“

 

 

***

 

 

Vega was so lucky she was able to pull the man back by the collar of his jacket, even if she had to lunge for it, concerning that she was a shrimp and he was a giant crane. Swearing, she had to reprimand him about the picture-hungry hounds from various Departments, to a point that she had to pull him back in the empty Conference Room and make sure that the coast is clear.

By the time they got back to Security, they have already called on backup who would safely accompany her idiot “brother” to a cab, and have cleared the entire lobby of possible snooping media from their own company who had no permit or reason to take a picture or bother Tom.

The man was giving her a big and friendly wave, like a little brother waving to his exasperated slightly-older sister who had to walk him out of detention once again. Vega subtly scratched her nose with her middle finger at him, causing Tom to snigger when he saw it, before the cab pulled away.

Sighing in frustration as she turned around, she passed Steve who was sheepishly grinning in a corner as she told him, “Thanks for the cover, we needed that.”

“You sure got a good friend in that Hiddleston chap, Miss Vega!” the Security Personnel exclaimed as she walked away.

“That’s what they all tell me,” she said exhaustedly before stepping back into the elevator.

The moment Vega got back to the conference room, August have already hijacked the meeting with his blatant new editing rules, only to find Sasha and Topher competing with each other in this new multi-player race game in their iPhones, with only Carrie listening to the Senior Writer intently. Trying to hide a snicker as August walked away annoyed as she arrived, Vega decided to have a recap of what was discussed when she was gone, resolved their issues and went through the rest of the agenda before adjourning the meeting.

While waiting for emails to arrive, Vega was randomly checking out the meanings of flowers… when suddenly an idea popped into her head, causing her to suddenly fumble for her phone, frantically texting someone.

 

_Where are you right now?! – VG_

_I’m at that floral shop just three blocks away from our flat. You alright, sissy? – TH_

_Lucille’s? Do they have red roses? Have you already bought them?! – VG_

_Not yet, but I’m having this pretty little girl pick out the white ones for me… - TH_

_Oh little Jessica says that there’s no red roses left – TH_

_Damn it – Stay right there, Tom. STAY RIGHT THERE. – VG_

 

 

***

Tom was busy chatting with the ten year old girl who happened to be the shop keeper’s only daughter, listening to her talk about the most sweet-smelling roses and how they turn them into perfumes… when someone bursts through the door, almost knocking off the chimes as they looked frantically up the aisles of roses, snatching the thick frames off their face.

“Vega,” Tom exclaimed, looking at the girl worriedly. “I’m glad you’re here –“

“You sure you haven’t bought them?”

“No,” the man said as he smiled down at his small companion, whom the woman blinked at upon seeing the little blonde girl. “But Jessi here that the delivery of the red ones may take three hours –“

Wincing, Vega bent down and smiled apologetically at the cute little girl, muttering, “Sorry sweetheart, but we haven’t got three hours.”

“What are you saying, Aeo sis–“

With that, the woman in the scarf, the black vest over her white puffed-sleeved polo and slacks grabbed the tall man’s arm and dragged him out of the store, with the little girl who was left manning the shop waving cheerfully at them as the chimes tinkled once more.

“But Vey, where are we g—“

“Just get in the cab,” the woman hissed, pushing her tall friend in the black taxi, as she hopped in beside him, quickly giving the driver instructions towards another floral shop that subsequently was closer to Way and equidistantly far from Fulham Grid.

“Red roses?” Tom turned to his seatmate, smiling with a bit of confusion on his face. “What made you have a change of heart?”

Vega blinked at the road, before turning those brown eyes that seemed to have had a solid realization towards the man she called her best-friend. “Love,” she whispered. However, the way she said it brought this grand shiver down Tom’s spine.

“Love?” he asked.

Her expression suddenly transforming to something dreamily romantic to something a tactician would make, Vega brought her hands together and started talking like the mischievous planner that she is. “Red roses does something to women you know,” she exclaims, as Tom listened to her intently. “You see them when men walk up to them with these huge-ass bouquets of red roses and they turn into these weepy little girls the moment they see them?”

“Well, that’s not what I recall,” Tom said with his eyebrow raised, remembering the detailed manner of how Max described Vega trashing the roses Tom left on her bed in Langham before they had that surprise photoshoot stint that drove the woman insane. But upon seeing the roses in Vega’s hotel room a few days after, he knew that DarkJade was just definitely messing with him.

“But you do have seen them,” the girl insisted, looking him in the eye. “And you do see how they motherfucking blush and lose it when the guy _they like_ actually gave them roses –“

“I do think I get your point,” Tom says nodding, ignoring the shiver that went up his spine. “So we just get Max a bunch of red roses?”

“Yes, just red ones,” she exclaimed as she looked back at the road, ignoring the excitement that she could clearly see in those blue eyes. “Sorry for the sudden change of plan, but I really want this to work.”

“So do I,” Tom exclaimed, a big grin eating up his face.

 

 

***

Everything went as smoothly as planned… at least with the roses.

Entering the Floral Shop, Vega and Tom looked as if they finishing each other’s sentences as they ordered the bouquet from the pleasant-looking brunette woman who was probably in her 50s.

“We’d like to order a bunch of flowers,” the little woman started.

“Red ones,” Tom would add.

“Oh isn’t that adorable,” the woman named Mary would comment. “Couples buying each other flowers and it’s not even Valentines yet…”

The girl in the scarf and the thick-rimmed glasses winced as she made sure not to look what the reaction was plastered on her friend’s face. “Oh, were’ not –“ she gestured towards the tall crane whose face was slowly turning red. “We’re not a couple.”

“Oh,” Mary exclaimed as she instructed a boy helper about sixteen years old to pick up the reddest roses in the shop at a back room. The shopkeeper’s eyes fell on the big black opal ring sitting on the younger woman’s hand. “You’re engaged then?”

Tom and Vega let out this really loud, sarcastic, raucous laughter as they held on to each other comedically… before flatly saying out in unison, “Hell no.”

There was a knowing smile on the woman’s eyes when she turned around to help assist with the wrapping of flowers, leaving the two friends standing uncomfortably in front of the cashier, with Vega uncomfortably removing her hand on Tom’s arm.

They walked out of the store with Vega initially holding the big bouquet of roses, refusing Tom from picking it up from her arms, saying that she’s testing whether or not a woman of her height and gait (that was close enough to hers at least) could carry a bouquet that big. “At least it’ll fit in a vase,” Tom would say.

“I think we’re good,” the woman exclaimed as she held the bouquet in one arm, looking up at her friend who squinted with the afternoon sun directly in his eyes.

“We are good for now,” Tom exclaimed with a small smile. “Will you let me take those flowers now, so I can bring them home and set it up for our little trap? Unless you want it for yourself –“ He tried to reach out at the bouquet, but Vega seemed to have automatically swung it out of the way, glaring at him.

Rolling her eyes, Vega found herself shoving the flowers in her best friend’s arms. “Oh shut it, Tom,” she whined.

“No really,” he exclaimed as they both stood on the unpopulated sidewalk. “We can always buy another set and let you have this –“

Waving her hand and making a face at him, Vega shook her head and gave her friend a sheepish grin. “I’m not the one who needs it right now buddy,” she exclaimed as she seemingly eyed the red roses with a bit of envy. “But you would admit we did choose quite a good bunch.”

Looking at the flowers in his arms, Tom nods and smiles back at her. “It is a good bunch.”

Satisfied, the two friends nod and exchange smiles, before the smaller girl in the scarf had to run a hand in her hair in an attempt to say something to break the awkward smiles and glances they’ve been going at for two minutes now.

“I’ve got to get back to work,” Vega exclaimed as she stepped towards the curb.

“Let me get you a cab,” Tom exclaimed as he walked faster, spotting a taxi in the distance, raising his free hand up in the air to hail it. Unable to retort, the girl just gave him a curt grin when the cab stopped to pick her up, as the man opened the door for her.

Rolling down the window, Vega found herself squinting in the afternoon sun, giving Tom a last word before speeding off. “You sure you’re okay with dealing with everything?” she called out from the cab.

Slipping a hand in his pocket, the man nodded. “I’ll be fine,” he exclaimed out loud enough for the girl to hear. “I’ll go back to the flat – God forbid Maxi to be there, but she should be at the bakery at this time, and I’ll set up that letter you’re talking about.”

Gasping, Vega’s hand shot up her mouth. “The letter!”

Tom comically pointed at her, with that silly little grin. “Don’t forget it!”

Rolling her eyes, she found herself smiling back at her generous roommate who was looking quite a spectacle in his height, that Armani Exchange jacket, and that wonderful bouquet of roses he was holding. “You take care!” she called out before rolling the window back up, just in time for the cab to speed away.

Waving back at her, Tom sighed and whispered back “You too” when she was long gone.

 

 

***

 

 

It was 6:30pm when Vega got home.

Exhausted and somewhat satisfied, she was glad that she was able to sneak in the writing of Max’s letter in her break time, managing to send the heart-felt confession to Tom’s email before Carrie could come back from the tea room to continue her Photoshop inquiries with Vega (being too shy to approach a very busy Topher). With just one text from the man, Vega knew that Tom got the letter from his cellphone.

Relieved, after receiving another text from Tom on how everything was under control, how he left the flat to meet up with Fred for dinner, and how the roses were on the dining room table with the enveloped letter standing right up against the vase. Smiling to herself, Vega made a mental note to treat Tom out to ice cream of something for almost single-handedly fixing this entire operation by himself, and because she barely helped and almost sabotaged it with how fickle her mind was.

However, the sight that greeted her the moment when she approached the dining table, made it feel as if something stabbed her in the stomach, staining her black vest and her white polo shirt.

The sight of a vase broken into four pieces was seen on the dining table… as the water has spilled over the surface and onto the floor. Not far away from that scene, petals could be seen on the floor… with stems and crunched up red flowers stashed in the garbage bin, carelessly placed there by whoever found them.

Vega turned around to see a figure sitting on the couch, watching reruns of Downton Abbey with a vengeance, considering that there was nothing else to watch on cable right now, and everything she sees literally pisses her off.

“Max…” the woman worriedly approached her roommate. “What happened?”

The dark-skinned girl in the ACDC shirt feebly looked at her, before suspiciously eyeing her from head to toe, before standing up in one long fluid motion, as she suddenly pushed Vega on the chest with one hand balled into a fist… as the smaller girl suddenly outstretching her hand to catch a shower of red petals as Max opened the hand she slammed onto her roommie’s chest.

“Did you do this?!” Max hissed suspiciously?

Shaking her head, praying that her acting won’t give her away, Vega tried to look surprised. Shocked even. “I don’t – I don’t know what you’re talking about –“

The woman standing tall in front of her rolled her eyes and walked past her, seemingly irate as she began reciting a line that Vega swore sounded so familiar. “ _If there is only such one thing my heart desires, it is to tell you the truth, Dark Jade – and that is of my feelings for you. Let these red roses be the proof of it,_ ” Max spoke from memory as Vega silently made a note in her mind that the woman actually read the letter she composed, making it appear that Fred wrote it.

“Now did you have to do something with that?” Max said as-a-matter-of-factly as she turned around all of a sudden, in an attempt to find an expression on Vega’s face that would give her away.

Unfortunately for her, Vega maintained that wide-eyed look, before shrugging nonchalantly, completely giving the woman no reason to hate her in this situation. After a staredown that lasted only a minute, Max threw her head back and groaned before marching back into her room, slamming the door back behind her.

Once Vega was sure that her buddy wasn’t coming out, she found herself staring at the broken vase on the table and their precious flowers in the bin, before taking out her phone with the giant crack on the screen as she started texting.

 

 

_EMERGENCY: BROKEN VASE – VG_

 

Vega had cleaned up the mess that was left in the dining area, miserably disposed of the trash in the chute in the basement, and had already changed out of her work clothes when the front door to their flat suddenly burst open, with a tall man in his turtleneck and jacket suddenly entering in a frantic mode.

Tom ran a hand through his hair, quickly surveying the scene, only to find a clean flat – with his secretly-declared favorite roommie sitting on the couch in her gym pants and T.A.R.D.I.S. shirt, looking at him despondently with her glasses askew on her nose.

“Hey,” Tom quickly exclaimed approaching her anxiously. “What happened –“

“Cleaned it up,” Vega answered, peering up at the six-footer through her specs.

“How bad was it –“

Even before he could finish his sentence, Vega was clicking something on her phone, as she extended her hand – asking her friend to take it. However, the moment Tom got his hands on her iPhone, he had to squint through the large crack that was basically obscuring the entire picture she took of the mess earlier.

“I can’t – Vega I –“

Quickly standing on the couch to take her phone from the man, she started fiddling with it on both hands, as she stood just almost a few inches higher from the man, waiting patiently as she tried to send the picture to his own phone.

Hearing a doorbell sound, Tom quickly took his phone from his coat pocket, taking a moment to look at the image Vega sent him… causing him to smother his mouth with his hand, placing it on his waist afterwards as distress and disappointment could clearly be seen in his eyes as he sauntered uncomfortably towards Max’s room… rapping his knuckles on her door.

“Max,” he called out, putting a hand behind his head. “Maxi, its Tom –“

“ **GO AWAY**.”

His knuckles only inches away from the door before he attempted to knock on her door again, Tom had to stop himself when he heard that growl that sounded louder behind closed doors. Turning worriedly in his other roommate’s direction, Vega – who had assumed her seat on the couch – only shrugged at him in reply, watching the way Tom bit his lip as he turned around and fiddled with his phone, before placing it on his ear.

“Yeah mate?” he spoke quietly, as he looked at the girl’s direction, his eyes subtly hinting who he’s talking to. “It’s exactly what we expected.”

Vega found herself blinking bit by bit as she watched him converse on the phone, slipping his other hand in his pocket, as he moved away from Max’s door, trying to sound as hushed down as possible.

“Yeah,” Tom exclaimed all of a suddenly, his blue eyes glancing over Vega. “She’s here. We’ll be down in a bit. Yeah. Yeah. See you, man.”

Pocketing his phone, he turned to look at the woman who was still sitting on the couch, who pretended to fix her glasses before returning her attention to her own phone, silently cursing herself for not having the screen fixed just yet. But considering it was no longer within warranty, Vega could only groan and whine about creating a new budget for her iPhone.

“Come,” Tom called out to her, catching her attention. “Fred’s waiting downstairs at Gould’s.”

Getting her feet off the couch, Vega tilted her head as she subtly glanced at how she was dressed. “I don’t think I’m dressed properly for the occasion –“ she started, before being fazed by that small smile that suddenly appeared on the man’s face, despite the distress he was displaying earlier.

“Don’t worry about it Vey,” he cooed. “You look fine.”

Shrugging, the woman just got off the couch and grabbed her slip-on chucks from the shoe rack and her keys from the fishbowl near the coat rack, before following her male roommate out the door, locking it behind her.

 

 

***

 

 

“She motherfuckin’ stubbed my toe with those pumps,” Fred said exasperatedly, his hand touching his cheek as he set his elbow on the table, with his two friends looking at him worriedly, one fidgeting in his place, while the woman sitting beside him looking more wide-eyed than ever thanks to the glasses sitting on her nose.

“When was this?” Vega asked, turning to Tom.

“Just after we had that little dinner at the pizzeria,” the blonde man sitting beside her spoke, his eyes flitting over hers for a moment, before focusing at Fred’s green ones. “Max came out of nowhere, and suddenly stomped on Fred’s feet –“

The Scot was seriously furious, but at a loss for words. “I seriously – I couldn’t –I don’t –“

Taking over, Tom turned to his seatmate and continued. “She slammed the letter on Fred’s chest, asking him repeatedly,” he started, before imitating Max’s voice. “ ‘ _Did you do this? Did you do this?!_ ’ – Thank God she didn’t see the shock on my face. What happened after, mate –“

Fred winced and exclaimed. “I told her that I didn’t write the frikkin’ letter –“ he shot back annoyed, causing Vega to subtly look at Tom with a mildly distressed look in her eye that he subtly returned, realizing that their plot just backfired like a revolver with a bad recoil. “Though I wish I did,” Fred added, causing the plotting duo to look in his direction.

“What happened to the letter?” Vega asked, turning to the two boys. “Maybe she kept it –“

Tom shook his head. “The moment Fred said the truth… Maxine ripped it to shreds,” he said painfully, wincing as he detailed what happened. “And then she slapped his face once more.”

The girl turned to the Scot, with a displeased look on her face. “She slapped you? Again?”

Fred let out a small snicker, before removing his hand on his left cheek, showing the way it reddened. Vega felt her heart sink, realizing that Max literally slapped Fred three times. “That’s really rude,” she felt herself whisper, suddenly feeling guilty as Tom turned to look at her suggestively – making her remember that she did the same thing to her actor friend when he came home from the hospital.

“Nice to hear that coming from you, Vey,” Fred teased. “But seriously, I couldn’t put up with being slapped over and over again…” The man winced. “It’s very demeaning at one point.”

Vega could only find herself sighing as Tom leaned back on his chair, as both avoided the forlorn way Fred stirred his coffee, almost untouched, as the red patch on his cheek highlighted everything that was making him feel down at the moment.

Silence reigned over the table where three friends were at a loss of words.

“I don’t get it,” Vega suddenly spoke up as she shifted on her seat. Fred looked up from his coffee, while Tom removed the hands from behind his head, turning to look at the woman seated beside him, curious of what she has to say. “It was a red rose and letter combination, I don’t understand why that strategy wouldn’t wo –“

Before she could continue, Tom has raised his eyes to the ceiling as he subtly nudged the woman on her side with his elbow, causing Vega to stop speaking altogether.

“What was that?” The Scot suddenly asked.

“Nothing,” Vega exclaimed, wincing, realizing she just kind of gave themselves away. “I was just thinking…”

The brunette that sat across her just sipped his coffee, saying nothing as he watched the two friends sitting in front of him, one fidgeting in his little corner, while the woman suddenly smirking in guilt, attempting to hide the fact that she just probably blew their cover.

“You know what’s peculiar though?” Fred spoke up.

“What is?” Tom quickly spoke, in hopes to stop Vega from saying anything more, his hand suddenly flying to touch the girl’s thigh as she attempted to open her mouth and defend herself. Unfortunately, when Vega was about to speak, she only ended up freezing her expression into something of shock – after finding her friend’s hand on her thigh.

“You two,” Fred commented plainly, those green eyes showing no expression, not even amusement or happiness like he always does, as he eyed the Brit who just realized he grabbed his friend’s thigh, and the Asian girl who had to close her mouth. “Being friendly and cheery and unusually in sync,” he said, narrowing his eyes as Vega subtly stomped her right leg, causing Tom to snatch his hand away.

“It’s like an unusual phenomenon,” the Scot continued. “Like sudden hail on a supposedly sunny day. Or the Aurora Borealis.”

Tom found himself rolling his eyes at his best mate. “Freddie please,” he reasoned out. “Vega and I have always been on good terms –“ He suddenly turned his eyes to find the girl widening her eyes and then raising a brow upon hearing his statement.

“Well you weren’t on good terms pre-Cornwall,” he recalled, snickering to himself. “And definitely during that time she moved in the flat for the first time…”

By that time, Fred was literally riddled in giggles, causing Tom to open his mouth in retort as he looked away, crossing his arms. The woman sitting beside him was sitting there, blinking ironically at their friend, who was literally beside himself laughing now.

“You guys remember the pudding incident?”

“Don’t make yourself my new mortal enemy, Baldain,” Vega growled, clearly getting annoyed.

Fred had to hold himself as he looked at the girl, his eyes teary from all that laughing. “Oh but Vega,” he started, breathless. “It wouldn’t be as fun compared to getting into a mud pie wrestle with this guy,” he continued, pointing a now annoyed-looking Tom. “Isn’t it?”

As Fred started laughing again, the two who considered themselves “Mercenary Siblings” just exchanged displeased looks.

Catching his breath as his laughter slowed down, Fred clutched his chest and pushed his coffee away. By the time he had calmed down, his stoic demeanor returned, but a bit of mischief in his eyes. “You two,” he spoke; voice deep once more. “You’re both up to something. I may or may not like it, but I’m on to you two.”

With that he stood up, left money on the table, and waved to his supposed best-buddy. “See you later girls,” he called out before pulling his coat around him, slowly making his way towards the door and out the street.

“Hahahaha, very funny,” Tom called out sarcastically, but Fred had already exited the café to even hear what his buddy had to say.

Once their friend has gone, Vega ended up palming her face. The thespian sitting beside her bit on his lip, clearly at a loss too on what they were about to do. For a few minutes, they stared at their table… with three unfinished coffees that were already going cold.

Raising her face from her palms, the woman looked over at her best-friend and exclaimed, “What now?”

His mind seemed so very far away, but you clearly can see that the gears in Tom’s head were turning. His jaw angled, an expression he does when frustrated, the man played with his collar as he turned to see Vega looking at him intently, the question having escaped her lips.

“Plan B,” he exclaimed, before rising from his seat, causing the girl to push her coffee away as well. “Though I don’t know what it is yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twenty pages. I could split this into two chapters, but nevermind. This entire plot cannot be split into two. God, imagine if I hit 60-70 chapters. GOOOOD.


	38. Concerning Miss @Vegastar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was a normal day for Vega, till everyone seemed to recognize who she is for some weird reason. The moment she arrives in Way, she realizes why - and was not emotionally or mentally prepared for the situation she was about to wrangle.

Vega went back to work as usual the next day, still a bit down after Plan A of the “Operation Get Max and Fred Together” backfiring.

Even Tom seems frustrated and exhausted about it – considering that there was no breakfast ready when she went into the kitchen that morning. She was tempted to harp at the man to stop sulking about a fucked up plot, but the moment she opened his door and found him stark naked in his blankets, the woman just decided to forget about walking in his room without consent and went straight to getting ready for work.

Taking the tube to work, considering that it was too early and she didn’t want to even further her taxi expenses, the girl was so sleepy after staying up late to chat with her fiancé back in Melbourne who wouldn’t stop talking about their little company trip to St. Kilda’s beach.

Vega was swearing that she’d be abusing the Marketing Department’s coffee maker that morning, when she could hear female voices whispering behind her.

They were probably University or High-School aged girls sitting down, with big scarves wrapped around their necks. They were young to gather enough acne, but old enough to probably go to parties. They were peering at their iPhones and were repeatedly looking at Vega’s direction, before their expressions changed, turning to scoff and exchange whispers at the presence of the grown woman in her large black coat, puff-sleeved button-down blue dress, leggings, and leather-belted clogs.

Ignoring their hostile looks, Vega just ended up smiling at them sarcastically, before turning around to roll her eyes as she got off her stop.

 

 

It got even weirder when she got in the Way Headquarters.

People actually smiled at her and she passed the Promotions Department corridor with women and men she has never actually met before, waving and winking at her. Vega politely said “Hi” and “Hello” back, but the moment she turned around and people started whispering like those two teens in the tube, she was starting to suspect that maybe that spineless Gussie spread a rumor about her again, like the last time everyone thought she had an affair with a cute-blonde Promotional Officer that start of the year who happened to have a huge crush on Sasha all along.

 _Jesus fucking Christ, did I grow another head?!_ She exclaimed in her head, after painstakingly trying to look at her selected News Apps through her broken phone. _If there’s something up with **me**_ **,** _I’d know –_

But nothing prepared her when she was queued up at the Way Canteen, ordering a cup of espresso with her salad-sandwich, when Carrie’s high pitched screaming literally knocked her out of her headspace, as she turned around to find her Junior Writer running across the hall, iPhone in hand… screaming her name.

“ ** _MISS VEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!!_** ”

She turned around, wearing an exasperated grin – only for it to widen in shock when the tiny blonde girl literally climbed the bar that held the queue for the Canteen cashier, just so she can stand next to her.

“I can’t believe it!” the little woman exclaimed, jumping up and down, causing Vega to bob her head in the same manner, trying to follow the woman’s hyperactivity. “You’re one really lucky woman! Every girl in London – and probably the _world,_ wants to be you!”

Wincing as she ignored the way people in line suddenly recognized who she was and were whispering, Vega turned to her Junior Writer and exclaimed, “Car, what are you talking about?”

Carrie blinked twice in surprise, dropped her haw and said in complete shock, “You don’t know? Oh my God, **_you don’t even know?!_** ” Her Editor has no idea what she was talking about, so she just shook her head – a bit of horror appearing on her face.

Pulling out her iPad Mini, a really excited-looking Carrie quickly did a few gestures, before handing it to Vega. “My God, you’ve really got to see this –“

Turning around for a while to take her order from a cheery-looking Canteen Lady, the exasperated-looking woman moved to the cashier with Carrie bobbing up and down beside her and paid for the food before settling her tray on an unoccupied table and getting the iPad Carrie has been shoving into Vega’s face for the past three minutes.

“Alright,” she said in a whining tone, wondering why her morning had to be so weird. “Let’s see what we got here –“

 

# Loki is dating a Pretty Press Girl from Way Magazine and apparently Tom Hiddleston likes them in cute and petite packages

 

And there it was in all its glory – posted on The London Daily Buzz Website, a picture of her holding Max’s supposed red roses as she stood on the curb beside _The Floral Fuzz_ , talking to her roommate who happened to be attempting to take the bouquet from her hands – even if the description under the picture says that it was Tom giving her the flowers.

The shock took about two minutes to settle before it clicked in Vega’s brain.

“ ** _WHAT THE FUCK?!!”_**

 

 

***

 

“We know you’re engaged,” the big burly man in the fine suit exclaimed as his Way Celebrity Showdown Editor paced repeatedly in his room, her blue dress swishing against her leggings, as her shoes clicked murderously on his marble floor. “But why didn’t you tell us that you were engaged to Tom Hiddleston?!”

Vega felt like sarcastically throwing her head up and cursing – but considering that the person who was sitting on the desk, teasing her – was Daryll Meyer herself, causing her to bite her tongue and plead.

“Darryl, Darryl,” she weakly exclaimed, putting her hands together. “Please. It was an innocent mistake, Tom and I are just friends and –“

Daryll let out this hearty laugh. “That’s what Gracie Geffen said when those pictures of her with Eddie Redmayne in the Ritz went public –“

His Editor placed both of her hands on her waist, her face contorting to something of disbelief, as if someone tried to convince her of the location and actual existence of Nessie, the Loch Ness monster.

“You do know that Gracie Geffen does not exist, right Meyer?” The annoyance in her tone and the fact Vega was feeling trapped again, caused her to call her boss by his last name for the second time – the first time being that night in the Way Anniversary party when he called her a “Celebrity Magnet” after seeing her hang around with Benedict Cumberbatch.

“Jesus Christ, Gracie Geffen –“ Vega exclaimed helplessly as she walked around. “I don’t even know where that name came from –“

“Relax Guererro,” the Assitant-Editor-in-Chief exclaimed, trying to calm her down. “It’s just from the London Buzz and we know that some of our Contracts report there. Why don’t you just send Clayburne another letter again and have the pics taken down and obliterated? Not like you haven’t done it before…”

The image of Ross Clayburne laughing his ass off that appeared in her mind just made Vega shudder.

“Come on Vega,” Daryll reasoned out. “It’s not really a big deal, and this leads for even more exposure for you! But if it’s going to cause Hiddleston’s angry and jealous fans stalking you in Way and pelting your windows with gum, then I’m afraid I’ll have to step in. But knowing you –“ The man ended up snorting. “This is nothing you can’t handle.”

The girl removed her hands from her waist, as she suddenly had that realization… staring at the marble floor, telling herself to calm down – and it’s just some random stupid gossip-mongering article with no solid proof. Okay maybe except for a few pictures that completely and originally meant the opposite of what the headline is trying to say.

“Yeah you’re right,” Vega exclaimed, nodding. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

She pointed at her boss warningly, before walking out of the door. Daryll however called out saying, “I think it would be a good idea to counter your entire Hiddleston Waterloo by releasing a counter-article. Do you think we can we get the guy?”

Vega suddenly imagined a blushing and hyper Thomas William Hiddleston rocking and giggling on his chair as a mischievous-looking Sasha interviewed him, with Daryll forcing her to sit beside the man in an attempt to “clear” themselves of the issue.

The woman literally had to whine out “Daryll!” before throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation as she marched down that long and winding hall back to the Way Celebrity Showdown Department, ignoring the way her boss was suddenly swallowed by a fit of laughter.

 

 

“Hey Mrs. Loki, got a minute?”

“Mrs. Hiddleston! Can I get an autograph?”

“Vega maybe you can introduce Tom to me –“

“ ** _GUYS,_** ” Vega roared like a provoked lioness who was being pestered by her cubs, stopping in her tracks, as she glared at Toph, August, and Sasha who were literally trying to hold back their giggles as they followed their Editor all the way to her cubicle. “ ** _CAN YOU STOP BEING SO RIDICULOUS?!”_**

As she flopped herself in her chair, Topher ignored the way August rolled his eyes as he tried to reason out with his stressed and infuriated boss. “It’s just a tiny joke, Miss Vega,” he started. “We couldn’t help it since it’s the talk of the office –“

“I wish it was just a little joke, Toph,” Vega exclaimed through gritted teeth as she went through her emails and her social media networks, trying to find the extent of the chaos that was unleashed over the internet. “But when it’s all over the gossip tabloids, and even online – I can’t consider that a little joke anymore! Now can you guys get back to work and get me ideas for a new segment on the website?”

“How about your little romp with Tom?”

“Gus, shut your trap.”

The sarcastic Senior Writer rolled his eyes and backed off. “Alright alright,” he exclaimed, walking away. “She’s such a moody bitch when she’s under stress…”

Ignoring the subtle insults August threw her way, Vega decided to put on her headphones to block out the catcalling and the annoying greetings of people who happen to pass by from other departments, especially those who drop by just to have a gander at “That Way Girl Who Had an Obvious Affair With a British Hollywood Actor”.

Going through Facebook, Vega had seen only a few messages from her friends who happened to be Hiddlestoners, as well as one College Friend from Melbourne who shared that article from The London Daily Buzz, claiming that “I KNOW HER! I WAS WITH HER IN UNI!” Vega gritted her teeth and sneered, wondering why people can be so trivial.

As much as she dreaded it, Vega had to open Twitter. She knows the extent of the damage would be in there, especially from the Hiddlestoners. (As if she considered herself not a part of them, when she was actually declaring the man as her muse when she was still new at Way.) Part of her wondered if the Mercenary Girls in the US knew about it already. But considering that she didn’t get the news first hand and most of the girls were busy with just communicating within their own private lives, Vega thought that maybe she was so lucky without Lis actually contacting Tom and celebrating for having Aeoren change her mind about her wedding.

But of course, there was Twitter.

 

 

 **_@hiddles5ever:_ ** _Who’s this Vega Guererro? She better not touch my Tom! Bitch!_

 **_@lucy19cpmax:_ ** _@vegastar You’re a twat! You’re ugly! And I’m gonna marry Loki! Keep your hands off him, you bitch!_

 **_@kendrakees:_ ** _@twhiddleston I would have preferred it if you just chose Taylor Swift! Not some weird, chubby Asian girl who has no class! Who knows if she’s even a true Londoner!_

 **_@mishacakees:_ ** _@vegastar I bet ur even not real Journalist! Kep your pwas off my man!_

 **_@lillybean05:_ ** _@vegastar You’re a slut! Whore! Tranny!_

 **_@beckyboo99:_ ** _@vegastar WHore! Tom dsrves btr! Like me! Leave hm alone!_

 **_@trishgiles:_ ** _@vegastar I bet you’re not even a true Asian! Tom will never like Chinky Girls! You’re disgusting! Ew!_

 

 

And that was just the _#TomHiddleston_ tag.

A part of Vega was horrified realizing that some of the tweets addressed @twhiddleston, and the image of her best-friend turning red in the face in the midst of the scandal London Buzz has started just literally sent the most thunderous shiver down her spine.

“Damage control, damage control,” the woman gritted under her teeth as she began to compose a suitable tweet response to clear her name off all the racket, considering that within the two hours that she tried contacting the contract photographers who may have gotten their hands on that gruesome picture – none of them have replied yet.

What was amusing was, half of the Hiddleston fandom actually defended her… especially when fans on Tumblr started speculating that she was engaged to Tom, since her big opal ring was also caught in one of the three “exclusive pictures” released by the London Buzz. But to be honest about it, one third of the fandom argued that it was just a normal accessory, another third insisting that it was an Engagement ring (thus asking the rowdy side to leave Vega alone since Tom has already chosen her), while the rest just plain out bitched at her in various social media networks.

As much as Vega understood how fandom works (and how she was so jealous of Franka Potente at one point when she was still with Elijah Wood – to a point that _Thain_ had to send her puppy pictures to calm her down), she thought about how preposterous this is when on top of it all – _Tom is just her friend!_

The problem was, nobody wanted to believe her.

Not even her officemates.

She was even starting to question her own decisions – but she knew that if she even let herself be affected by this news, _she is going to lose her head_. So she tried not letting her thoughts stray _there…_

But thank God, while Vega was hissing like a kettle left on the stove for too long as she sat in her cubicle, her teammates decided to leave her alone – with only the naughty Sasha sending silly messages through their messenger, teasing Vega how she ended up being the Sigyn in Thomas William Hiddleston’s life. As all jokes go, Vega had to ignore them as she concentrated on reviewing the bomb-infused tweet she was about to drop.

 

_I don’t need Promotions…_

_I don’t need Public Relations…_

_I don’t even need Luke Windsor to back me up this time…_

_I’m a Way Editor!_

_I can fucking handle this shit!_

 

 

 **_@vegastar:_ ** _Hi guys, yes, I am Vega Guererro. No, I’m not engaged to #TomHiddleston, and we’re just good old friends. I’m engaged to a fine man back in_

 **_@vegastar:_ ** _Melbourne, and the spectacle you saw is us buying flowers for a friend. So please, this has all been a misunderstanding. One big fat misunderstanding. Cheers!_

 

 

 

Leaving the tweet be, as she raised her hands up in the air, hoping that it magically filters all of her problems away, Vega rose from her chair and marched to the pantry… in an attempt to haul all the caffeine she could haul to save herself from breaking down.

The girl made a point to stay away from the computer for the meantime, casually settling down to drink two Mocha Lattes in the pantry and moving her discussions and one-on-one meetings with Toph and Carrie in the same area. As long as they don’t bring up the “Loki Scandal”, Vega promised not to walk out on them and leave their edits unchecked.

However, when she got back to her computer to check her personal email… her face turned pale with all the replies she got in response to the tweet she just released, to a point she had to disable notifications.

 

 

 **_@leline221b:_ ** _Liar! I can’t believ u’re cheatng on Tom! Bitch!_

 **_@cherrycrux:_ ** _You ungrateful bitch! I bet you only used Tom!_

 **_@jamielock221:_ ** _Paparazzi slut! You don’t deserve Tom Hiddleston! Stop lying!_

 **_@lokisgirl293:_ ** _Yeah sure, I’m not in a relationship with a certain British Actor. I’m engaged to some german hunk and I’m definitely not using a Marvel Star to gain more Twitter followers. Sluts._

 **_@sheryl_lee_timegirl:_ ** _Whose Vegetable Gourmet anyway? Still nobody right? Tom better find someone with class, not some weird-named Chinese bitch who is inventing her own fiancés._

 

 ** _Vegetable Gourmet?!_ ** The girl mouthed in disgust, trying to calm herself down despite that urge to breathe fire and burn down every single twelve and thirteen year old who had the guts to march up to her on the social network.

While brushing through a whole litany of curses, insults, some of them praises such as these:

 

 **_@lali-ten-twenty:_ ** _Cheers, @vegastar! I would say that the best fangirl has won. Please keep our Tom happy._

 **_@vermillion_switch:_ ** _The Hiddleston Fandom Right Now: OH YOU GUYS HEARD ABOUT THAT GIRL WHO SOUNDS JUST LIKE A STAR SHE’S REALLY CUTE FOR TOM – no really, we wish you well_

 

But they weren’t enough to calm her down when the words “slut”, “bitch”, and “tasteless Asian” appeared on her notifications once more. Seeing red, Vega swore she had to take off her glasses and hold her head as she sat hunched over her wide-screen monitor, ignoring the tapping feet going across the room, shutting out Carrie and Sasha gossiping, and August’s loud earphones.

By the time she has risen out of her stupor, eyes a bit blurry, the woman wasn’t in her right mind when she placed her glasses back on with a suppressed emotion on her face, as she opened up her email and looked specifically for that attachment-filled mail from Mari… and the rest she did was history.

 

 **_@vegastar:_ ** _I am not one to provide proof, but see what you can all make of this:_ [ _http://ol.wy/82747ciahd7ghf_ ](http://ol.wy/82747ciahd7ghf)

 

Standing up from her cubicle with a smug look on her face, Vega walked away brushing imaginary dust off her hands as she walked with a spring on her step, as if she just delivered a checkmate that no one else can counter.

And that satisfied look on her face says it all.

 

 

 

***

 

 

Vega was able to hold that perky little mood of hers for a few hours, as she cheerfully responded to Carrie’s questions and had a pleasant discussion with Sasha and Topher on a tea break in the pantry, causing her co-workers to wonder what she may have done in the long run that completely erased the cloud of murderous doom that was floating over her head ever since she found out about the London Daily Buzz Article.

However, her plans for lunch with her favorite Graphics Resource officer and Junior Writer seems to have gone down the drain when she suddenly received a call from an unmarked number, the numerals mocking her as it lit up the broken crack of her iPhone as it vibrated on the table.

Reluctantly answering it in fear that it may have something to do with Magazine Competitions trying to get her say on the “Hiddleston Scandal”, Vega placed the phone to her ear and whispered, “Hello?”

A familiar voice was heard from the other line… However, its familiarity caused the woman’s eyes to widen when she recognized it.

“ _Hello Vega! Beatrice Cohen-Wright here!_ ” the pleasant-sounding, sophisticated velvet voice replied to her meager hello. “ _I hope I’m not disturbing you –_ “

Waving off to her two co-workers, asking them to go ahead, Vega paused at an unoccupied part of the floor, concentrating on calming down as she tried to talk to the woman who was on the other line. “Hello Bea! Great to hear from you! No- no you’re not! How may I help you?”

What the woman said next caused the Way Editor to widen her eyebrows.

“Mind if I invite you for lunch?”

Vega didn’t know why, but she couldn’t say no.

 

 

Bea chose a sophisticated French restaurant where Gale wanted to eat before, a place called _Bar Terroirs_ that was just a few blocks away from Way HQ. Vega appreciated this, since she didn’t really have to commute far, but she already found the woman sitting in an empty, reserved table by the time she arrived, albeit ten minutes early.

The woman seemed polite and happy to see her, even suggesting something for her to eat when Vega found herself stumped as she looked at the menu in a language she does not completely understand. Despite being “conversational” and “above average” in a few Asian Languages, the European set was still a mystery for her. And it was a relief that Beatrice was actually fluent in French.

Their _hors d'oeuvres_ were just about to arrive when the table was open for discussion, and it made the smaller woman a bit uncomfortable with the fact that her lunchmate was unusually quiet all of a sudden.

Flitting those beautiful brown doe-eyes towards Vega after looking at her menu, the woman who was dressed in an expensive-looking off-shoulder dress that was hidden by a stylish coat that seemed like Armani, leaned over the table and brought her hands together, as if she was trying to find the courage to say something important. Vega was about to ask about Bea’s gallery opening – when the other woman managed to speak first.

“Vega,” she started, seemingly unsure of how to say what she wanted to. “I have a favor to ask of you, if you don’t mind.”

The smaller woman completely ignored how the rolls of bread with a side of a small block of butter were served by the waiter on their table. “Of course,” Vega answered, blinking as she sat up straight on her chair. “Anything.”

Running her thumb against her lips that were painted red, Bea seemed to be deep in thought, before she turned to look at the woman across her again, smiling graciously. “I was hoping you could take down that picture of Tom and me that you posted on Twitter.”

Vega found herself closing her eyes upon hearing what she had to say.

That was when she realized that she had a moment of impulsiveness. Like a bull seeing a red banner, Vega utilized her horns in the form of the emails sent by Mari that covered the events in Cornwall – events that _everyone_ wanted to forget. And using that one, _lone_ picture that was taken by Pete of Bea kissing Tom after his proposal – in a sea of happy guests after her then boyfriend dropped to his knees and produced a ring out of his pocket; Vega uploaded it on Twitter to lambast and slam back every single destructive insult she endured during the day.

But as she looked at an awkwardly painful Bea who was asking her to deal with her indiscretion, that’s when Vega realized the price her childishness has to pay.

“I’m –“ she tried to find her words. “I’m so sorry –“

Gritting her teeth, Vega suddenly felt guilt and shame sinking in. Pulling her coat around her tightly, the cold sort of making her even smaller in her clothes, she found herself pulling out her phone as she opened her twitter app, sort of showing it to the woman sitting in front of her in an attempt to pacify her – whose face was suddenly contorted with empathy, as Bea reached out to Vega. “I mean,” the taller woman exclaimed. “You don’t have to do it now –“

Cradling her cheek with an open hand, Vega was red in the face as she continued on deleting the tweet that had the controversial picture – that had a dozen violent replies to it by now, everyone asking who the woman in the red-slit dress was, and how was she related or involved with everyone’s favorite film-theatre actor.

“There,” she exclaimed, placing the iPhone with a giant violent crack on its screen, in front of a surprised Beatrice, who was covering her mouth upon seeing it. “Deleted the trace of it on Twitter. And then I’ll make sure that my connections on Damage Control get their hands on the copies as well,” Vega exclaimed, wringing her hands, ignoring the grateful expression on Bea’s face. “They’re pretty quick with obliterating things on the Internet, so I can assure you that they can track every share and have it gone in three hours or so.”

“Thank you,” the woman across her exclaimed as she reached out to touch Vega’s hand, the younger woman nodding as she comfortably smiled in the presence of the woman her best-friend was supposed to marry.

Taking a huge relieved sigh, Vega took the dilapidated and hideous phone from the table, and pocketed it. “I’m really sorry about that,” she exclaimed, covering her mouth. “It was very childish of me… I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just so angry at the entire ruckus – I had to do something to throw them crazy fans off…”

Bea let out a small chuckle as she had a little sip of her drink. “Yeah, they tend to be very vicious,” the woman exclaimed, her gaze drifting out of the window. “I’ve got a few attacks on my own Twitter as well,” she explained. “I’ve been getting it ever since _he_ began taking me out to those public dinner dates, but it just got worse today… just when I thought _it_ would be over…” There was a forlorn expression on the woman’s face, and Vega found herself looking at the woman who was just a few years older than her.

Making a face that was torn between sarcastically twitching her lip and furrowing her eyebrows in worry, Vega parted her lips only to close it again… seemingly hesitating to ask the question in her mind. But watching the way nostalgia was reflected on Bea’s face, with a hint of disgust painted on her lips, Vega knew she couldn’t pass the chance to know the truth behind it.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking,” the somewhat bumbling twenty-seven year old Editor asked the sophisticated Gallery Curator. “ _But why did you say no?_ ”

By this time, their food had arrived.

Vega found herself staring at her Poached Duck Egg and Artichokes, while a tall waiter about Toph’s age had to stop himself from ogling the beautiful woman he was serving, as he placed a plate of Spatchcock’d Quail, Calcot and Romesco in front of Beatrice.

Once everything was settled, Bea looked at Vega as if she didn’t hear what she just said. The younger woman was about to open her mouth and say something – till she saw the Curator’s expression drop into something bleak, knowing that she did intend to answer her question.

“You were asking why I said no,” she said softly, running those long slender fingers on the fork that was lying on the table to her left.

Vega found herself watching the woman intently, as she dropped her gaze to her full plate and nodded, as she was merited with a small smile from Bea, albeit a bit sad.

“I know that not all would bother to understand,” the woman spoke. “I bet some of your friends even silently berated me for it… And I don’t blame them. But I completely accept how one would question why someone would let go of such a perfect man who is intelligent, witty, quirky, blessed, and not to mention very romantic… And very kind…”

Bea sighed.

“As much as I sometimes regret my actions at Cornwall,” she continued, causing Vega to raise an eyebrow. “It’s more of regretting why I didn’t do it in such a kinder way that I wouldn’t have to hurt such a gentle soul…”

The woman sitting across her was about to open her mouth to attempt to gently and subtly stop Bea from beating around the bush, but then the other brunette knew she made her point on softening up the situation before bringing down the harsh truth, so she decided to carry on the explanation before Vega could even say anything.

“However,” Bea continued. “Despite Thomas being the perfect catch, he’s… he’s just not the one for me.”

The younger girl with the smaller almond-shaped eyes blinked, seemingly unsatisfied of the answer as she randomly thought about her best-friend whose heart would have been probably internally bleeding with shattered emotions with his heart crushed into a thousand pieces if he sat in her place. As much as it would have comforted Vega to not be in this situation, she could feel her insides squirming with discomfort as well, as she imagined how crestfallen Tom would be if he was indeed in her place.

“But you were doing fine,” Vega found herself speaking, although the voice that escaped her didn’t sound just like hers. At least Vega couldn’t believe herself saying these things. “You were doing well, you were so sweet, you were so in love –“

“Let me ask you,” Bea then interrupted her, putting her hands together as she placed her chin on her knuckles. “You have been in love before, haven’t you Vega?”

The girl found herself nodding as-a-matter-of-factly, a bit offended by the question.

But then it was Bea who found herself laughing at her own query, remembering that Vega herself was engaged, when she caught a glimpse of the black opal on her ring finger. “But of course you are sweetheart,” she exclaimed. “Of course you are…”

“Now let me ask you this, would you have called what you saw in Cornwall –“ the older woman asked, causing the other one to just shrug. “Love?”

Vega found herself raising her eyes as she clutched the edges of the table, as she slowly understood what Bea was trying to say.

“I would say it is,” she whispered, those brown eyes searching the older woman’s own.

“It would have been love,” Bea whispered, casting her eyes down. “But not for long. As much as it was as real as the next wonderful thing to happen between two people, I knew I couldn’t go on with the illusion we were both having…” The woman pursed her red lips, sadness in her eyes. “You know… pretending to be in love.”

Raising her hand to smooth the bridge of her nose, Vega let out an exasperated sigh as she traced the rim of her glasses, somewhat making the other woman worry.

“Oh Vega,” Bea exclaimed. “I am expecting this but I really am truly sorry –“

“The man,” she said, her voice breaking a bit. But having no reason to break down into tears or even show a little bit of that _self she have been trying to hide_ for months now, Vega tried to get a hold of her own emotions. “He – He tried to harm himself…” Those dark chocolate eyes rose to meet up with Bea’s auburn ones, as the former heaved out a sigh. “He’s currently having sessions with his psychologist, and… thank God he’s doing fine than what we all expected.”

The Curator brought her hands together and pressed her lips on her knuckles as she looked out the window. “I know,” she whispered. “I read up on the reports that turned up a few days after New Year’s…” Bea’s eyes slowly shifted to look at Vega, who was torn between making a face of disgust and exploding with fury.

“The presence of a woman he loved would have been a great help,” Vega said suggestively, her mouth twitching, unable to hide her annoyance. “Especially at such a time when he was terribly not himself…”

Bea closed her eyes. “He doesn’t need me… at least, anymore.”

Vega frowned.

Opening her eyes as she looked away, ignoring the disdain painted on the younger woman’s face, Bea asked, “Did he look for me?”

Vega’s memory faded back into that night when her favorite trench was ruined and she had to dispose of her blood-stained mittens. She does remember not going into Tom’s hospital room on purpose, despite getting messages and texts from her friends that he was doing fine. Also recalling Max’s words when she detailed how the man spoke to her after he woke up, Vega remembered that it was another name he mentioned… not the one she was expecting either.

“I-I don’t know,” she suddenly felt like lying. “I wasn’t there.”

Seeing a glint of sadness on her face, the older woman also displayed a bit of relief on her face as she picked up her fork and started playing with her food, before putting a small piece in her mouth. “That’s a relief,” she whispered, once she was done chewing, as Vega found herself staring at her food, feeling horribly uncomfortable the entire time. “He’ll be fine… Tom will be fine. He has his family, he has his friends…” she turned to look at the young woman. “He’s got you.”

Vega found herself blinking at her lunchmate with much confusion than what she was sporting for an expression earlier.

“Besides,” she continued, after taking a quick sip of her wine. ”I wouldn’t think he would look for me anyway…”

Vega shook her head, still remembering the small moments when Tom would have that sad look on his face in between their flat activities, although it lasted for only a second… before he’d turn to her and start smiling again, like it was a sunny day without a drop of rain.

“Don’t –“ the younger woman started. “Don’t say that…”

As Bea raised her eyes to come face to face with Vega struggling to say things she’s not even sure she’d like to say; the Editor pursed her lips as she tried to find the words that were appropriate to the situation, without marring the true words in her head.

“He loved you,” Vega said bitterly. “Tom loved you… And I saw it. Please don’t say that he doesn’t need you…”

The woman across her suddenly smiled. Albeit it was a sad smile, it did have some true meaning to it… upon hearing the words escape the younger woman’s mouth. “You’re right,” Bea exclaimed, her words sending a sickening jolt down Vega’s hard as the two of them admitted to that truth. “Tom did love me…” But then there was a filter of bitterness on Bea’s face after her lips spewing out those words.

“But as much as I adored him,” Bea started. “Tom… He’s distracted.”

Vega found herself raising an eyebrow, her face contorting with uncertainty.

Reading this on the other woman’s face, Bea let out a small smile escape her lips as she took in another piece of quail. “As much as his feelings are genuine, I believe they aren’t as such…” she whispered as she looked at the window once more, ignoring the look of confusion on Vega’s face. “Since the man looks at me as if he sees someone else…”

That was when Vega felt all the color drain from her face, hearing her words. But still, Bea continued talking about this painful feeling that she has been having ever since she had this relationship with Vega’s proclaimed best-friend.

“Tom is sweet, but when he kisses me…” the woman sighed. “I could tell with the way he moved his lips that he seemed to be thinking of another person… As much as I know that I have him in my arms, his mind and heart are so far away…”

Every word Bea said just made a nauseating thud as it entered her brain, making puzzle pieces fit inside her head… forming a picture she doesn’t want to look at.

“But yes, he did love me,” she whispered, as the woman who sat across of her thought she saw tears in Bea’s eyes. “My God, I knew he did… But it wasn’t the love I was looking for.”

As she listened, Vega felt like pushing the artichokes around the plate, having completely lost her appetite. She knows that Tom has fallen in love and _had been in love before_ … but she never expected him to use a relationship as a mask to cover up his true feelings for someone else. But as much as Bea seemed to be currently implying that she has no idea who that _someone else_ was, Vega on the other hand, has this sickening feeling inside her stomach that she has an idea of whom the man was thinking of…

“I don’t know,” Vega found herself speaking, trying to ease the look of discomfort on her face. “Maybe you’re just mistaken… and it’s just a feeling…“

Bea shrugged as she took another bite of her food. However Vega, couldn’t bring herself to look at the woman anymore, _and she didn’t know why_.

“Tell you what,” Waving her fork in the air, Bea brought it down with a soft clang as she suddenly piped up enthusiastically, despite the drab topic they were discussing. “I’ll let you in on this small secret –“ She smiled silently to herself, as if remembering a fond memory.

“He took me to this wonderful Greek restaurant on our first date after one of my Gallery events,” she said softly. “They had the most wonderful Louvanika I’ve ever tasted – If I recall, I think the place was called _Elaia_.”

Vega was successful in maintaining an interested face, even if her insides were screaming with discomfort when she remembered that place to be the first restaurant they went to after Tom confessed through his iPad with her High School pictures... almost two years ago.

“He was so sweet, and so charming,” she whispered in a nostalgic manner, propping her chin on one open hand. “And is such a gentleman.”

The girl who sat across her just nodded, after all it was true.

“Though what I couldn’t forget during that night was what he said to me,” Bea exclaimed, licking her lips, accessing an old memory. “He was so poetic… I wouldn’t blame him; after all, he is quite the charmer and the actor too… He told me how the browns of my eyes reminded him of something he lost…” The older woman bit her lip as Vega looked back at her, wishing that the horror in her face wasn’t transparent enough. “But upon having me, he was happy to have found it again.”

That was when Bea’s face fell. “As the days passed by… his words seemed to make sense…” The older woman sighed, making Vega realize how sorry she felt for her best friend’s ex. “I knew he just wasn’t over something… Something I don’t know. Something I don’t have the heart to find out. And it kills me.”

Those brown eyes moved to stare at Vega’s own. “And I couldn’t live with that.”

Forcing herself to have a piece of mushroom from her plate, just so she would calm herself down a bit, Vega winced, wondering why the food suddenly tasted bitter than expected inside her mouth.

“It’s not too late to talk to him,” Vega spoke, her reasoning being sound, despite another voice in her head questioning her conscience on why is she even bothering to speak like this. “You know I can do something about this,” she whispered, tapping the hilt of her fork softly on the surface of the table. “I can possibly talk him into seeing you –“

To her surprise, Bea just shook her head.

“The last message I received from him were a few days ago,” she whispered, placing her fork down. “It was unusual, since he didn’t answer the rest of my messages. But he said everything I needed to hear…”

Vega raised her eyes from the plate, silently showing the curiosity through those exhausted brown eyes.

“…He says he’s okay, he’ll be fine… and he forgives me.” Bea spoke as if she was pulling out a conversation from a dream. “It seems like he doesn’t want to talk about _anything else_ further. I feel the same, to be honest.” The woman raised her eyes to look at Vega. “We closed our chapter in Cornwall. I am slowly moving on, and I wish he could too…”

The woman sitting across her pursed her lips, as she was deep in thought, realizing that despite having kept in contact with his ex, he chose to stay away and stay behind instead of trying to patching things up with her. Whether or not this is Tom’s way of healing, all Vega could remember for the past few days and weeks was how the man seems so unaffected by the fact that he’s still being texted by Bea; to a point that he had completely invested himself in that little shared operation they were both doing for Max and Fred.

And upon hearing about what Bea had to say… all of a sudden, Vega felt uncomfortable.

Very uncomfortable.

To a point that she didn’t know if she had the appetite to finish what she started eating in the first place, even if it was French food and was very expensive.

 

 

***

 

 

Vega barely finished her food, but she was glad that the awkward lunch was over. As she was headed back to her office, she probably received several emails confirming that the damage control of the picture she released in retaliation to the fans was going underway, as well as the progress of toning down and countering the hullabaloo caused by London Daily Buzz’s exposé

“Thank you for seeing me,” Bea responded politely, as the two stood at the entrance of _Bar Terroirs_ , preparing to go on their separate ways. “And thank you for doing me a favor. It means a lot to me, Vega.”

Nodding solemnly, Vega raised her head to show her a small smile. “Of course,” she answered, still feeling shitty as ever. “Glad to help.”

With a smile laced with fondness and a bit of sadness, Bea extended her hand to hold Vega’s shoulder, as the girl tried not to look up at the gesture awkwardly. “You’re so kind, Vega,” she exclaimed, surveying her with those brown eyes. “You’ve always been so polite and so welcoming, I never felt out of place when I’m with you.”

The girl made sure that she didn’t raise an eyebrow upon hearing what Bea had to say, considering that despite trying to maintain her composure and her sunny demeanor in Cornwall, we all know that it was all for naught – especially when Vega starts seeing _green_.

“Thank you,” she whispers absent-mindedly.

Nodding, Bea reluctantly leaned forward as the two girls exchange polite kisses on the cheek, like two old friends who met in a restaurant after not seeing each other for a long time. But despite that exchange, one girl looks a bit solemn, while one was struggling not to be awkward, despite the unease in her actions.

“You’ll take care of Tom for me, will you Vega?” Bea called out before walking away.

The woman she was talking to squinted in the afternoon sun, placing both her hands in her coat’s pockets. “I-I can’t really promise that…”

To her surprise, Bea stopped in her tracks, turned around and smiled. “Don’t say that,” Bea started. “You’re his best friend. And he needs you the most right now… As believe that someone like you wouldn’t dare leave him like that.”

Vega looked down, somewhat guilty.

But despite how it seems, she just thought about how little Bea seems to know about things.

“He needs you,” Bea repeated, seemingly trying to convince her to show a bit of compassion towards the man whom she couldn’t love. “And he seems happy that way.”

Blinking twice, unable to process the woman had just said, Vega was about to retort an inquiry, about to ask Bea what she meant… but the woman had already walked off, leaving her completely confused as she stood in front of _Bar Terroirs_ , all alone.

And as she was left with her own thoughts, Vega walked back to Way HQ thinking about everything that was discussed between her and Beatrice Cohen-Wright. But upon discovering the real reason why Bea said no, Vega felt her own stomach churning with a slight tinge of physical hunger, as well with a sickening feeling that _everything she fears about Tom and his secrets might be true_.

 

 

By the time she got back to Way, the dust had finally settled.

Making a note to herself to ignore anything she’d find peculiar in the social networks, Vega totally swore off visiting Twitter for the meantime – and that saved her from checking the Direct Messages from Lis, Mari, Sam, and Lila who were half-telling her to calm down, and half-teasing her if her wedding with Gale is still on… saying that maybe she was “finally in her right mind”.

Taking the hint how the issue pissed her off, Carrie, Toph, Sasha, and even August didn’t dare mention the “Hiddleston Scandal” to her again. Or the “Star Hiddlesgate” as the fandom referred to it. Vega was lucky never to have heard of that actual term named for her picture, or else she must have looked for a line of hackers to crash Twitter, Facebook, 4chan, and Tumblr all in one fell swoop. But of course, you know that’s quite exaggerated of Vega’s abilities. The least she could probably do is scream at her monitor and have Toph release angry animations directed at the fandom.

But by the time her eight hours at work were already up, all Vega wanted was a nice dinner, probably a few episodes of Adventure Time, and completely disconnecting herself from the Internet as she slept her worries away. But remembering Max’s fury and the existence of her other roommate, she suddenly dreaded going home with the imagination of the devilish teasing grin on Tom’s face – considering that he did find out about the London Buzz article.

 _Please, please let him not be home,_ Vega repeated the mantra in her head as she approached the familiar brick building, with Gould’s visible at the bottom. _Oh God, I don’t even know how to react…_ She thought as she smothered her face with a free hand. _And to think I was starting to get used to his presence!_

Dreading the confrontation, Vega decided to use the stairs just to prolong her arrival at the flat.

_My God is he even home…_

_He’s probably sitting on his favorite spot on the couch, grinning at me like a madman –_

_An Asgardian Madman –_

_A fucking ice-monster madman --_

_My God, why am I even scared of a 6’2” thespian?! I know his exact fears and how his eyes water when he’s scared – if he even dares tries to pull a joke on me concerning “that issue”, he’d better not!_

_Jesus, I can even hear him ehehehehe-ing in my head!_

_That Bastard!_

 

Grumbling all the way towards RM 505, Vega found herself fidgeting with the keys in her bag as she cussed at the fact that it still had the pink carabine and half-praying that no one would be home to make fun of her lack of luck that day.

Turning the lock, she braced herself for anything as she opened the door and stepped in…

Only for a pillow to hit her face.

Vega had to duck once more when another pillow soared in midair, as she swerved out of the way and closed the door behind her – the elongated cushion from the couch hitting the surface of the door violently with a loud _thump_. Raising her head as she attempted to shield herself with her bag, she found Max huffing angrily as she stood on the couch with the television playing Eastenders on mute.

“ **YOU LYING, PLOTTING BITCH!”**

Bouncing another pillow off her bag, Vega threw one that was lying on the floor at Max, flashing a scared and infuriated face. “My God, woman!” she exclaimed, aiming another couch-pillow at her roommate, Max casually ducked as it almost knocked off the lamp stand. “What’s wrong with you? I just came home – **_just motherfucking calm down!_** ”

The distress in Max’s voice was imminent. “That stupid scandal with your stupid man-slut best-friend suits you, you lying cheat!”

Vega found herself making a terrified face, _knowing that Max also found out about the article_.

“How could you?! **_How dare you?!_** ” Max had already gotten up from the couch and was pounding her supposed best girlfriend in her corporate clothes with a pillow, as Vega had to raise her messenger bag up once more, attempting to save herself from Maxine’s fury. “I trusted you! I TRUSTED YOU, VEGA! **_I FUCKING TRUSTED YOU!_** YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON MY SIDE!”

A hand shot through the mess, as Vega managed to summon all her strength and yank out the remaining pillow from Max’s hand, as she managed to push her hysterical friend on the couch – with Max landing on her butt.

“ **LISTEN TO YOURSELF, MAX!** ” Vega bellowed. “JUST LISTEN TO YOURSELF!”

Surprised, Max looked up through her messy hairstyle, only to glare at Vega.

Catching her breath and throwing her bag on the ground, the girl made a gesture with her hands as she flung the pillow on the floor, keeping the other ones away from the hysterical female. “Langham... Two years ago… Do you remember, Max? Do you?”

The woman just managed to grit her teeth at the supposedly smaller woman.

“I hysterically ran away from the Hotel upon finding from the Reception that my Hotel Room has been breached,” Vega shot back, eyes on fire. “Guess who I trusted back then? Guess who I thought would be on my side? Does it sound familiar Max?” She towered over her roommate who couldn’t answer the question. “ ** _Does it?!!_** _”_

The horror on Max’s face cannot be described. As much as Vega hated admitting it – everything seemed to be an echo of the past. But looking at how Max and Fred has a better chance and were a better match, she just knew she couldn’t pass on this opportunity to somewhat set things right. And these things that weren’t for her, as she had told herself a long time ago.

As an uncomfortable tension was set between the two girls, a small chuckle escaped the smaller girl who was on her feet. The one on the couch made a face, completely confused (and horrified) with the turn of events. Next thing you know, Vega was laughing horridly – like a villain who just realized the entire scope of her evil plot.

“ ** _You shipped us so hard_** ,” Vega said unbelievingly, her memories scanning back to that year she first arrived in London. “ ** _You shipped us so hard, now look at what happened!_** ” She found herself making a grand gesture of flinging her hands to the side, as if referring to the current events of their lives.

Baring her teeth and confirming her threat, Vega hissed, “ ** _It’s my turn, Maxi_**.”

But despite all of those grand declarations, Vega felt her heart sink as she saw tears brim in Max’s eyes. Next thing she knew, the girl had gotten up from the couch in a flash, pushed Vega on the shoulder with a force that she had to withstand just so she’d remain on her feet… as Max stomped towards her room, slamming it behind her.

Vega found herself staring at am empty couch during the following minutes, contemplating what just flew out of her mouth.

 

 

***

 

 

The first thing Vega did was to clean up the living room after the mess Max made. Alright, she had a part in it too. Taking away her bag, her coat that was sprawled on the floor, as well as the laundry Max just carelessly left on the couch, Vega managed to just throw herself on the couch and watch some television in order to burn out what was left of her energy.

But even if she thought she can have the rest of the night in re-establishing her inner peace, that’s when her phone started making noises – making her wonder why she didn’t pound it hard against a steel surface to completely disable it in hopes she doesn’t see a London Buzz Article-related text anymore.

But alas, this message was the cream of the crop. Vega unlocked the phone through the cracked touchscreen and realized that it was an email from Holly Allcot. And what her ex-supervisor had to say didn’t make her comfortable at all.

 

“ _Heard that my favorite Ex-Promotional Officer turned Editor actually had **a juicy scandal** with Tom Hiddleston, and turns out that **she handled it nicely!** Nice save, girl! Turns out you can deal with it all along… You’re all grown up, Vega! So proud!_ ”

 

The way Vega pouted at it was so disastrously funny, that someone who would have seen her must have ended up laughing out loud, clutching at their sides.

Silently cussing in her head at Holly, Vega refused to accept the fact that her fears back when she was only a Promotional Officer was actually nothing to worry or panic about, considering her influence, power, and experience as a Way Editor. But considering that she knew before what she knew now… there was a small space in Vega’s head that made her wonder if she’d make the same decisions she did before…

As much as it seemed to be funny, the depth of the message just unlocked a hideous headache for the woman, that she had to inch towards the freezer blindly, pulling an ice pack out of it.

She barely had settled in the snugness of the rearranged couch with the cold pack on her forehead, when there was a soft click… and the front door swung open.

With the migraine blurring her vision and having taken off her glasses, despite squinting, Vega saw clearly who walked through the door. Wearing a long black coat with a printed high-necked shirt underneath, Tom walked in with the groceries as he suddenly turned to look who was sitting in the living room… only for a warm smile to break on his face.

Vega would have said that he could have been a sight for sore eyes, though there was a small fear in her mind that tried to find a trace of knowledge or mischief in the man’s sapphire eyes that would give away the fracas she had to deal with earlier…

But there was none. The smile she found on Tom was pure and chaste. Nothing more.

Until he furrowed his brow and worriedly approached her.

“Hey Vey,” the concern that was heard in the tone of his voice was imminent. “You alright?”

Sitting up on the couch as she flashed a small smile on her lips, she was hoping that it was enough to calm the man down.

“I’m fine,” she slightly lied, returning the grin. “Just had a rough day.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to throw in this plot. I JUST HAD TO! It was to prove that EVERYTHING THAT VEGA FEARED IN “A Blind Conversation”? THEY’RE NADA. THEY’RE NOTHING. SHE CAN HANDLE THEM. So why say no to Tom in the first place? ANSWER ME THAT GUERERRO! And that conversation with Bea… I’m sorry, but for me? That’s the cream of the crop.
> 
> I have written a supplementary chapter for this, and you can read it [HERE](http://lokiwholockfactory.tumblr.com/post/77552402373/a-stolen-conversation-ch-38-1) (<http://lokiwholockfactory.tumblr.com/post/77552402373/a-stolen-conversation-ch-38-1>), in my Tumblr. I decided not to include it in the actual AO3 archive just so not to mess the numbering of the chapters (like what happened in A Blind Conversation). Hope you enjoy it! Once again, it’s in Tom’s POV. :3


	39. The Unexpected Project

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After that London Buzz fracas, Vega somehow finds her way back to obscurity and sinks back in work. The first agenda of the day was a surprise Project Photoshoot that Vega's boss wants her to cover for their Way Celebrity Showdown Content. With her co-workers out on fieldwork and left with Carrie her Junior Writer, the Editor has to hurdle through this task with her DSLR all on her own. Well, almost.

_How about a little beach trip for those two lovely rascals? – TH_

_Tom, we’ve just been to the beach. – VG_

_How about some videoke then? – TH_

_Haven’t you just told me that videokes bring back such bad memories for you? – VG_

_Alright, what about a little videoke at the beach? – TH_

_Thain, listen to yourself. You’re a walking contradiction. – VG_

_At least I didn’t vouch for the stripper club idea with enlisting a male hunk who looks a bit like Fred to do a lapdance for Max… - TH_

_TOM. I DIDN’T – I –- JFC. I’LL DELETE THAT MESSAGE. YOU MANSLUT. – VG_

_Why did I merit that nickname now?! - TH_

_COZ YOU ARE A KINKY LIL SHIT - VG_

_> :)  – TH_

 

Vega rolled her eyes as she pocketed her phone, ignoring the little time-travelling phonebox sounds echoing through her slacks as she walked out of the tube.

It has been a week since their failed plot for DarkJade and Baldain. It has also been a week ever since that horrific London Buzz article has been released, and all gossip and retweets about it had died down. Except in the darkest parts of 4chan and Tumblr, Vega was relieved that she can go back to Facebook without wincing too much.

And to top it all off, the best part of it was that Tom didn’t seem to have any recollection or knowledge about it – since he hasn’t said a word ever since he left for France. Well at least if he knew anything, Vega was thankful that the man didn’t let her know that he knew something. His silence somewhat eased the tension that was brewing within her mind… and within her.

However, that’s what she thinks.

 

 

***

 

 

Amidst that all, it was the least of her worries. With the scandal completely buried, obliterated, but somewhat lurking in the dark recesses of Hiddleston fanatic blogs – Vega was successful of probably prying it away from the eyes of those who matter – like that of her fiancé. But considering that fateful night after ignoring Tom whistling to himself while cooking dinner, Vega found herself collapsing on her bed skipping the meal altogether in an attempt to deal with the growing headache caused by her media activities, the revelations, and the realization brought about by Holly’s email. A few hours later she woke up to her broke iPhone ringing – it was Gale.

 

“Hey darlin’,” the Australian-laced voice somewhat cooled the heat that was surrounding her head as she answered the phone, half-asleep. “You alright? You don’t sound okay.”

Purring like a cat, happy to hear his voice, Vega smiled as she turned around to lie on her back. “Mmmmm, hello Galey.”

“Well that’s a relief,” said the voice that sounded as if it came from a distant dream. “I am pleased to hear that you sound definitely rested and exquisite. But of course, I don’t blame you… after all you got some roses from Loki.”

That was when Vega’s eyes shot open and she swore at that moment – she was wide awake.

“Oh my God, Gale,” she was suddenly frantic as she sat up on the bed, suddenly breaking into a talk that was faster than 20 miles per hour. “Did you see it? Did you read it? How did you find it?! It’s not true – I swear it’s just a stupid media hoax some crazy fucked up paparazzi made up and I fucking swear it’s not real and Tom Hiddleston is just a friend and –“

There was a bit of chuckling on the phone that ended up in raucous laughter, causing Vega to stop babbling and stare at space like a wounded puppy. “Gale?” she asked worriedly.

“Oh just listen to yourself hun,” he said in between giggles. “No need to defend yourself. It’s not a big deal, I know it’s just a rumour.”

Vega found herself blinking twice as she stared into a dark space in her room, having a dozen of emotions in one single moment… but all she could afford was to remain silent at the same time. Somehow she felt comforted that Gale didn’t seem to bother about the entire gossip about her and Tom… but at the same time she was bothered to _why_ he didn’t seem to care at all…

“Alright,” she found herself saying breathlessly, in a monotonous voice. “That’s a relief…”

“Oh darlin’,” she heard him say once more, the term of endearment rolling off his tongue. As much as she was sick of hearing the term “darling” from another person, it sounded like honey when it comes from her fiancé… despite how bitter she felt at that moment. “You need to calm down! You know that I trust you. I trust you, darlin’. You don’t need to worry that much, Vey.”

Nodding, Vega found herself sitting still in the silence of the room. “Thanks love,” that was all she could say.

She could say that she couldn’t sleep soundly the entire night after, a foreboding feeling lingering like a dark cloud over her head.

 

 

***

 

 

However, things were different that morning a week after.

Walking towards Way HQ after her smooth ride through the tube, Vega thought about how she would be enjoying this kind of silence – although she would admit she missed her male roommate and the plotting. But with Tom’s last text about his junket that indicates he was still in Germany for at least a few more days, Vega knew she could take a rest from the frustration of trying to get her two friends together – at least without Tom desperately strategizing like a madman.

 _But for now,_ Vega thought. _Work awaits. Ah work. Good old work_.

However, despite the traces of the London Buzz issue fading away, with a Film Festival covered by Sasha a few days ago, Vega’s interviewer just couldn’t help asking a certain British Actor a question when she encountered him on the red carpet when he was promoting his spy-themed movie.

Having to watch various random interviews by Sasha as they reviewed all the videos taken during the week, Vega found herself standing up, wearing a dissatisfied smirk as she approached the wide-screen TV, the moment it was Sasha’s turn in interviewing Tom Hiddleston. Ignoring the small snickers and whisperings of her teammates behind her, Vega glared at the image on the screen as she silently cussed at how good her roommate looked in that black ensemble of a three-piece suit, with his blonde hair gelled back as he flashed his prize-winning grin at the wonderfully dressed Sasha.

“To top off our discussion,” the woman’s voice echoed through the speakers of the recorded video. “What can you say about this little ‘online article’ published that involved you and a non-celebrity gal who was rumored to be part of the press? Do you have a say on that, Mr. Hiddleston?”

Vega found herself sneering at Sasha who was sitting at the back, unable to contain her hideous chuckling.

The video played on as Tom flashed the reporter a mischievous grin, as he pointed at her and said, “You’re from Way Magazine right? Correct me if I’m mistaken,” he says politely, although his eyes were clearly flirting with the girl in the yellow dress.

“Yes!” Sasha exclaimed, winking at the camera. “You’re being interviewed by Way!”

Much to everyone’s surprise, Tom turned to the camera and laughed. “They said that the woman was from Way Magazine, if I’m correct?” he asked mischievously, causing Vega to bury her face in her palm as she growled in frustration like a trapped animal.

“Oh I didn’t say that!” Sasha’s reply echoed in the conference room. “I didn’t say anything at all! Cheeky you! Tom Hiddleston everyone! He’s way ahead of us –“

That’s when Tom winked at the camera. “I won’t comment on that then!”

Vega literally turned red in the face realizing that _he knew it all along_.

Turning the television off, plotting to watch and QA all the other videos at a later time when she isn’t enraged, Vega spun on her heels to face three giggling individuals all huddled near each other on the circular table.

“SASHA!” she growled warningly.

The olive-skinned woman quickly got up her seat with a silly smile on her face as she picked up her folders on the table, winking at Toph and Carrie. “And that’s my cue –“ she said quickly before opening the conference room door. “I’ll be preparing for the Essex Event – BYE!!!”

Vega literally had to chase Sasha on her stilettos, holding the door open as she screamed – “ ** _SASHA MOTHERFUCKING DAMANI, JUST YOU WAIT! I’LL HAVE YOUR FUCKING HEAD FOR THAT!”_**

Unfortunately for Vega, all Sasha replied with was her infectious mocking laughter.

 

 

***

 

 

Vega eventually had her peace in the office as the day wore on.

Considering that Sasha was going to Essex to film this fundraising event littered by celebrities, Toph was tagging along as well to document and help film their presence in the event. What was heavenly (as her other co-workers would consider it as well) was that the often-moody August was doing media research in Glasgow for weeks on end; Vega would say that she can sit back and relax, and enjoy a typically drama-free day with Carrie who was just hanging around the office, subtly flirting with the young guys who come over from Promotionals to ask her advice… and probably play Facebook games on her computer during tea break.

Vega was in the middle of resuming the video of Tatiana Maslany that was part of the camera roll of Sasha’s interview that Toph left for her to review, when Carrie who was pretending to be editing her scripts with her headphones on, was clearly ignoring the department phone ringing on Sasha’s desk.

Playfully flicking the plastic of Carrie’s headphone when she passed by, the blonde looked up at her worriedly, to which her Editor just smiled sarcastically and mouthed “I’ll get it”, before breaking to a sprint towards Sasha’s desk in case the ringing faded away.

“Hello?” she answered feebly as she sat on Sasha’s cubicle, grabbing the woman’s fuzzy-tipped pen and playing with it absentmindedly.

Suddenly sitting up, the woman straightened her glasses and said, “Promotionals Department? Right now?” She turned to peer from her seat to see her Junior Writer with half of her headphone off her ears, as she peered at what was going on.

“If it’s urgent, I’ll be downstairs in 5 minutes or less,” Vega exclaimed, before putting the down the phone with a soft click. Clicking a few buttons on Sasha’s Avaya, Vega called out to Carrie before leaving – “Hey Car, keep one ear open. I redirected all of Sasha’s calls to you. Don’t miss one when I’m gone.”

The mousy-faced blonde just blinked and nodded at Vega and pulled up Candy Crush from her hidden browser the moment her supervisor walked out of the room.

 

 

Carrie was probably trying to beat another level, when the sound of clicking pumps was back in the office floor, causing her to minimize the browser, turning around to find Vega running a hand through her hair, completely ignoring her… before going through Topher’s office pedestal, pulling out their department-issued Canon EOS DSLR Camera, as she primarily checked its video capacity.

“What’s up, Miss Vega?” her Junior Writer inquired, considering the contorted expression of trepidation and stress on the smaller woman’s face.

“Apparently,” Vega said softly. “There is a high profile shoot to which Daryll wants us present. But of course, with _everyone else_ out on fieldwork, looks like we’re going to be the representatives for our department.”

Blinking twice, Carrie got out of her seat and looked over at her supervisor who was busy testing the DSLR, pointing it at random places and taking shots. “A high profile shoot, they say?” the blonde spoke. “But we should have known about it –“

Vega raised her eyebrows as-a-matter-of-factly as she expressed the same concern as her writer. “Exactly! We should have had it slipped in the agenda or something,” Vega exclaimed, turning a few knobs on the camera, before flipping it in video mode, focusing the lens at her teammate. “Apparently this shoot was made in a jiffy, in relation to the Film Festivals that were going on here and in France – now, as usual, they’re running after an early release while the news are still fresh.”

Smirking a bit, Vega began rolling, testing the camera. “Say something for me, Car –“

However, deep in thought, the younger girl just continued speaking. “But does that mean we have to be in charge of the production of the entire photoshoot too –“ she suddenly turned red, upon realizing that she was being filmed. “Aw, Miss Vey! Let me put on some makeup fir – eee!”

Chuckling a little bit behind the camera as she followed the shy girl towards her chair, as Carrie tried to shield her face, Vega paused the film and exclaimed, “Don’t worry sweetie, I’ll delete this.” Pressing a few controls, Vega found herself sitting on Toph’s chair.

“Well, Promotionals are really the ones in charge of the entire shoot,” Vega exclaimed, turning the camera around her small hands. “We’ll just be there to document a few videos and probably have a chat with the models for the Celebritiy Showdown Site.”

Taking her hands away from her face, Carrie picked up a small mirror, checking her face out, before turning to the woman sitting beside her, seemingly eyeing Toph’s pedestal… as if she’s looking for something else. “Models? The models are here?”

“Well,” Vega sighed as she safely placed the DSLR on the table, after rechecking the battery. “According to Miss Josie, the new head of Promotionals, whoever they are – they’re already getting prepped up by Fashion for the shoot.”

Clucking her tongue, Vega knelt beside Toph’s pedestal again – pulling out a folded tripod. “So that means we gotta go down soon and take our shots and you can have your interview with them after –“ The woman then turned around and placed the tripod on Toph’s desk as she tucked the DSLR back in the camera bag.

“I wonder who they are,” Carrie said excitedly. “What if they’re esteemed personalities? Or really known names? What if –“

Making a face, Vega tried hard not to chuckle at the woman’s face. Considering Carrie’s wide-eyed and positive outlook on everything, the older woman was completely reminded of how she was when she first started in the business. The innocence, the excitement, and the willingness to explore and discover… That was everything Carrie was displaying right now. However, at an age where she is already slightly cynical, Vega swore that not a lot could surprise her anymore.

“We’ll find out when we get to the new Production Stage,” Vega exclaimed, referring to the new stage at the 30th floor. The old photoshoot stage where they worked at when she was last in the London Way HQ was torn down and moved to the 30th, providing a new research library for the Fashion Department. “Let’s just hope they’re not a snooty bunch,” the woman said, smirking.

Turning to an excited looking Carrie was who started retouching her makeup, Vega found herself smirking ironically, before grabbing the DSLR bag and slinging it over the shoulder.

“Be ready in five,” she exclaimed. “We still need to setup.”

Removing the powder brush on her nose, Carrie answered back in a high-pitched voice. “Yes ma’am!”

Vega turned around and shook her head as she walked away, amused how her Junior Writer was acting so perkily at such a time, when in fact everything she could see was unplanned scripts, lack of materials, and a whole lot of stress.

 

 

 

***

 

 

“Vey!” A tall Productions manager greeted her as she surveyed the scope of the wide and expanded studio at the 30th floor, that had two or three sets that were a bit too high-tech for her to fathom what the entire shoot was about. “Welcome to my office!”

“Graham?!” the girl sporting the lace-sleeved dark blue top and the loose red tie hanging from her collar squinted through her thick specs as she looked at him. The man used to be one of the newly promoted Promotional Officers when she was on her Training Trip in London, now he’s got his spot bumped up two times and was sitting on top of his own Production team. “Oh my God – look at you!”

The beefy boy who went in as Mr. Incredible during the last Halloween party had a fuzz of gold hair on his head and small beady blue eyes that shrank when he smiled. Placing a friendly kiss on the smaller woman’s cheek, he turned and smiled charmingly at the shy looking blonde woman who was almost Vega’s height, standing next to her as if they couldn’t be separated from the hip.

“Who’s this lovely lady?” he exclaimed extending a hand.

“Carrie,” her Junior Writer said enthusiastically as she quickly stepped up and extended her hand, to which Graham received graciously. “Carrie Williams.”

Raising an eyebrow, impressed with Carrie’s newfound courage compared to the way she used to slink around behind Toph’s and August’s backs, Vega smiled and turned to Graham, linking her free arm with her Junior Writer.

“Car’s my Junior Writer,” she exclaimed, her brown eyes all a-sparkle as she looked up at the tall man, proud of her blonde friend. “She’s here to stand in as my interviewer since Sash’s out on fieldwork –“ she said as Graham guided them through various construction and promotions personnel working through the studio, giving them a tour. “And she’s basically support to August Shay.”

You wouldn’t believe the face Graham made upon hearing that voice, as he looked at Vega first – then Carrie.

“Gus Shay? _Gussie_ Shay?!” he exclaimed, causing Vega to chuckle at the mention of the old nickname, as Carrie dropped her jaw in shock. “My God, darling,” Graham quickly exclaimed as he extended a hand towards the girl who took it, before suddenly gasping when the man slung a hand over her shoulder, squeezing her. “How can you even stand it?! You must be so frustrated –“ He then turns to Vega. “You better take care of this sweetie.”

Following them around the studio as she carried the DSLR bag over her shoulder, Carrie was gingerly holding on to the folded tripod in her arms. They were staring in front of a nicely produced set that mimicked the inside of an airplane, as Graham explained how they managed to set up the set in less than a day.

Vega had barely circled the set, when someone suddenly running through the various sets, when someone with a high-pitched voice started running through the studio, through the narrow paths made by the sets. She had this headphone attached to her ear and her once long brown hair was now short as well, and seemed fashionable when Vega last saw her.

“I’m looking for Miss Vega Guerrero of Celebrity Showdown –“

Vega blinked at the woman who was taller than her, recognizing her straight away. “Tash?” she exclaimed, identifying her as one of the Fashion Assistants Nigel Hamish assigned to her almost two years ago. “Natasha, is that you?”

Smiling sweetly, Tasha quickly hugged Vega and took her hand. “Oh Miss Vey, I am so glad to see you!”

Looking at her, Vega beamed. “Heard that you shifted for Productions and part of their Fashion Managing team,” the Editor of Way Celebrity Showdown exclaimed. “I’m so amazed!”

Tasha blinked those brown eyes and chuckled, saying, “I’m still a runner for the Fashion Department, Miss Vey. But of course, I get to hang around set more than those expensive clothes we’re not even allowed to touch.” The two girls giggling, Vega looked up at her, completely proud and amazed on how the people she met at Way have grown up and somewhat succeeded in their own little ways since the last time she was there. “Anyway,” Tasha continued. “I need to bring you and Miss Carrie down to the Fashion Department so you know where you can start filming –“

“Yeah,” Vega nodded, slinging the camera bag behind her. “We plan to conduct interviews while the models are at the make-up chair, in the middle of takes, after the shoot, and then document it the whole way through.”

Clapping her hands, Tasha let out a small laugh. “Great! We can start now!”

Letting out a small smile, Vega watched Tasha and Carrie introduce themselves to each other, as she followed them to the elevator to the 14th floor. While the two girls were busy discussing about Carrie’s questions about the Fashion Department’s operations, Vega let out an unnoticed sigh… wondering why she feels like she wasn’t in the mood to do this photoshoot at all.

 

 

The 14th Floor Fashion Department did not change at all.

Fashion Assistants have littered the room, and were running in all directions. Portable closets were all over the floor, even in the reception. Designers were all everywhere, fabric tailing them no matter where they went, along with fashion style sketches, past issues, and various pictures stashed in folders. Carrie had to step over someone trailing satin all over the hall, as they left the area. The blonde had to look at her Editor who looked less astounded and vaguely amused by the place than she was, considering that Vega’s still a bit upset that Daryll didn’t inform her about this shoot, and was busy overthinking about how she would fit this event into their agenda.

“Welcome to the Fashion Department,” Tasha says cheerfully. “Now if you would just follow me, we’ll be going to the make-up room –“

“Oh oh,” Carrie said excitedly as she tried to catch up with the Production Manager. “Do we get to see the models? Are they here?”

The brown-haired woman nodded in kind, smiling a bit, as her eyes flitted over to Vega who was just looking around randomly, trudging with her hands in her pockets, DSLR in tow. “Certainly! They’re actually being fitted and getting touched on as we speak –“

“Tell me Tasha,” Carrie exclaimed, hands now tightly wound around the tripod, as she literally bounced up and down, almost knocking down a mannequin an assistant was wheeling down the hall. “Who are they? Are they band members? Are they well-known writers? Are they actors? ARE THEY ROYALTY –“

Vega found herself making a face just watching her writer acting like a hyper-energizer bunny, wondering if she should do something and interfere before Carrie actually knocks something down.

“Well Miss Carrie,” Tasha exclaimed, looking at a perplexed Vega once more, as they went around a corner, the hall becoming more and more familiar to Vega now as she smiled at passing Promotional Officers who seemed to have identified her, and other Fashion Asssistants and Managers with familiar faces. “You’ll find that they’re quite an influential bunch—“

Before Tasha could say another word, a tall-figure wearing an expensive Dolce & Gabbana suit was walking down the corridor towards them, flanked by a Fashion Assistant who was clearly smitten with this individual, with his charming smile, blue eyes, and combed back hair. But the moment Carrie saw him, she couldn’t stop whimpering and hyperventilating, much to the shocked expression on Tasha’s face.

But the moment Vega turned to look on what the commotion was all about, the man who was convincing his Fashion Assistant in a silky baritone that he’s alright and he can find the water dispenser all by himself, suddenly flashed a bright smile when he saw the three women heading down his way.

“Oh hello!” he said in a calm, cool, and collected British accent, flashing a bright grin as Vega literally had to haul Carrie from the spot where she has frozen over. “Look what we have here –“

“Oh, oh,” Tasha quickly exclaimed, blushing. “Mr. Cumberbatch, Benedict sir… shouldn’t you be back at the make-up chair –“

“Oh you girls,” he said, waving a hand. “I just went out for a glass of water –“

“But sir, I can get it for you –“

Wrinkling his nose and smiling at Tasha who blushed in reply, Ben just exclaimed, “You know what, you girls can get me that glass of water. Let me take these newcomers off your hands, Miss Natasha. That is if you don’t mind.”

Tasha and the Fashion Assistant just nodded and quickly ran off in reply, as if one were competing to get the glass of water first. Vega just found herself looking in the direction to which the two women sprinted, with a huge question mark on her face. With Carrie still smiling like a lunatic in Benedict Cumberbatch’s direction, the sane Way Editor had to close her co-worker’s dropped jaw and turned to her actor-friend.

“I can’t believe you’re the one they’re talking about in this photoshoot,” the smaller girl exclaimed, crossing her arms.

“Can’t believe that you and your darling girl here would be covering our guest appearance,” Ben exclaimed winking. “This is Carrie, if I can remember?”

“Yes sir,” the blonde whispered dreamily, as Vega shook her head with how her Junior Writer was behaving.

Laughing a bit, Vega found herself smiling as she looked up at the London-born actor. “This is really a pleasant surprise,” she exclaimed. “This would be the first time we’d be working together right?” Vega found herself extending a hand, to which Ben just smiled at. “You have no idea how this got me all excited all of a sudden.” Ben just had a little laugh at how Vega shrugged her shoulders upwards, looking really excited herself.

Taking her hand into a firm handshake, Ben placed his palm over her knuckles and grins. “Of course, Miss Vega!” he exclaims. “The pleasure is mine.” Opening his mouth and closing it again, a small mischievous grin seemed to have appeared on the Shakespearean-Actor’s face as he grinned at the woman and her Junior Writer.

“Anyway, we shouldn’t be dilly-dallying here,” Ben exclaimed, as he slipped Vega’s hand under his arm. “You two must come with me. I’ve got something to show you.”

Vega followed the man towards the end of the room, with double doors she can now clearly remember, having it to be the same make-up room she was frequenting during the first photoshoot event she handled two years ago. “I hope it’s your Sherlock deer-stalker cap,” the almond-eyed brunette joked, to which Ben just laughed out loud as he turned to open one of the double doors.

“Let’s just hope you find it more entertaining than that silly hat,” Ben said with a wink as he ushered the two women in.

Unbeknownst to the duo, there was another model who was with Ben who was being primped and readied by one male make-up assistant and the main female make-up artist. With their back towards the newcomers, the mirror was angled in a way that their face could not be reflected. But considering the high makeup chair, they couldn’t get a better glimpse of their face.

However, the moment Ben walked in, he was all gaily and casual, the formal tone of his voice dropping. “Hey mate, guess who I found in the corridor –“

As the two make-up artists jumped back as the other model swiveled their seat to face Ben, Vega, and Carrie – the blonde girl literally emitted a long and high-pitched shriek when she recognized who it was, causing Vega’s eyes to widen, as she quickly reached out to her side and clamped a hand on her hysterical Junior Writer’s mouth.

“Hey mate! What’s up –“ the man who was also sporting the same look, despite his Dolce and Gabbana suit looking a bit different than the older man’s, had his hair styled in the same combed back manner, despite being a bit more blonde than his brunette-looking friend.

But the moment he saw whom his friend brought along, a wide cheeky grin that would have been perfect for any camera suddenly flashed on his face.

“ _Sissy!_ ”

Vega wondered when would Carrie stop shaking like a rattle snake as she literally broke free of her hand and was jumping on the spot, jaw still unhinged at the sight of London’s two most revered heartthrobs gathered in one Magazine Company – them being Captain Jamie Stewart and Captain Nicholls themselves.

“You little shit,” Vega hissed under her breath, ignoring the infectious laughter Tom has unleashed in the make-up room, looking glorious in the ensemble he was wearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to cut this in half, again. I have the other half ready… and it was supposed to be one entire chapter, despite being 23 chapters all in all. However, I am currently dealing with Finals, and you know when its Finals – I’ve got my writer’s block on. Rest assured, I’ll have the other half published soon… when I’m at least halfway through Chapter 41. Ugh.


	40. That One Time Chemistry was Actually Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As much as photoshoots shared with Tom Hiddleston is a nightmare for Vega, this one seems a lot more different than her previous experience. And of course with Benedict Cumberbatch fooling around with the two of them, she would say that this one is quite the relief.

Apparently, Maria Johnsson gave in to Benedict’s publicist’s requests of the man to work with Way again. Of course, that’s a little joke Ben has been telling the make-up artists the entire time he was being pampered in the chair.

But turns out that Way’s involvement in the film festival in Germany had the producers talking to set-up a special issue that showcased two of the biggest spy films that was creating a buzz in the festival – and wouldn’t it be great to feature its protagonists who were highly famous with their fans and considered to be the prized “Golden Boys” of Britain Cinema. Especially that they both happen to be good friends in personal…

With Cumberbatch involved in a period movie where he was an Eton scholar who was involved in a political scuffle and turned into a Warsaw spy, Hiddleston on the other hand had been in another espionage film that mimicked almost the same tone but in a modern setting… but of course with all the modern gadgets, the sexual innuendos, and twice the women. The two men would often joke that Tom got James Bond, while Ben ended up with something similar to Ian Fleming.

Both known to play vicious villains and ardent lovers onscreen, the two men were reduced to giggling boys who were exchanging jokes and messing with some of the crew members in between takes. And when you say crew members, this was mostly comprised of making faces and incidentally teasing the two women who were representatives of the Way Celebrity Showdown Internet Correspondence.

However, even as much as the blonde Junior Writer of the Celebrity Showdown giggled and conversed gaily with the actors in between takes, asking random questions and reasonable inquiries. But as the models would be found in various serious photo compositions… they would end up posing comically for the Way Celebrity Showdown pictures – either with hands in each other’s pockets… or Ben making a silly face while tugging at Tom’s necktie. There was even a case (given that that the Fashion Assistants were on standby on any wardrobe malfunction) when Tom took Ben on a piggyback, causing the entire row of female Fashion Assistants and Promotional Officers to mutter _awwwww!_ in the process.

However, as Carrie was beside herself giggling at the two London It Boys, her weary-looking editor was having a different kind of conversation with the blonde model on the sidelines.

“I thought you’d still be in Germany,” the brunette with the fringes muttered quietly while adjusting the DSLR, as the actor who finished double first in Cambridge subtly stepped from behind the cameras during a break, running a hand through his gelled hair as he pretended to take a glance on the preview screen of the camera the Way Editor was holding.

Subtly trying to catch the woman’s eye as he peered over her shoulder, Tom just shrugged and exclaimed, “Well let’s just say there was a bit of a mix-up considering the schedule that Luke seemed to have overlooked… considering that the Festival ended yesterday, and we got an invite from Way Magazine.” Eyeing her mischievously, Tom tilted his head, trying to match Vega’s eye level. “Not happy to see me?” he said suggestively, sporting a small grin.

“Har har har,” Vega said mechanically at the man as she swerved the camera out of Tom’s line of sight, causing the man to whine.

“Come on Vey, can’t I see the pictures –“

“Mr. Hiddleston! You’re needed back on set!”

Smiling at the Junior Promotionals Officer who was about Vega’s height but has smaller eyes, he turned to do a comical pout at his Way Editor roommate who just stuck her tongue out at him as he approached one of the interior sets that were specifically set up for that shoot. Subtly looking at the way the man was suddenly surrounded by wardrobe personnel, as he smiled charmingly at the three women who touched his hair, straightened his clothes, and fixed his tie.

Dropping her eyes to look at the video in which Carrie was chatting comically with Tom about his experience in France, Vega found herself suddenly smiling at the way the man wrinkled his nose and teased her co-worker, making Carrie giggle like a mad school girl while Tom did his impression of Guillermo del Toro.

Looking up to find the man slowly prepping himself for the photographer, as he was the only one left on the set, he shot the photographer one assuring smile, before slowly getting into character… as his muscles grew tense, his eyes grew shallow and dilated, as he assumed a confident yet sly persona, oozing with appeal and a hidden malice… something he’s used to doing after switching from one role to another.

Watching her friend as he worked, Vega impressively crossed her arms and pursed her lips, sporting an impressed look on her face… realizing that Tom really knew his craft, and somewhat this made her feel proud of her so-called best-friend.

A few seconds later after a few flashes, the director instructs the thespian to look away from the camera… to which Tom obediently follows, as he focuses away from the set… turning to look at her.

Vega suddenly found herself raising an eyebrow in his direction, as she ended up smiling and laughing to herself while averting her eyes; suddenly remembering a distant memory in which she recalls a flabbergasted Promotional Officer who watched in horror as a man whom she thinks she had the hots for was busy smothering the red painted lips of a model in a really kinky lingerie in the same studio where she was standing in, two years ago. The memory of that just made her want to laugh out loud, but she just ended up biting her lip to stop herself from guffawing for no reason on the spot, only to look up and find that Tom was smiling too… albeit in a confident and serious way.

Grinning madly as she looked at the model who probably had no idea why she was smiling, Vega picked up the DSLR and took a quick snapshot of the male model who was grinning in her direction.

_Flash!_

Turning to smile at the man as she looked down to check the picture she just took, she was ignoring the praises and the exclamations of the photographer as she admired the way she perfectly captured Tom’s smile on the DSLR.

However, she realized that she wasn’t alone.

“It seems as if you saw something you liked,” a deep-voice comparable to Smaug the Terrible whispered in her ear, causing her to turn off the preview of her DSLR as she swung her head to the side – only to find Benedict Cumberbatch chuckling to himself as he stood beside her.

But the moment she turned to glare at the Academy Award Winner, Ben suddenly flexed his fingers, waving goodbye at her as he ran over to the other set, where he was supposed to do a solo take. Carrie followed after the thirty-something thespian, miming a silent scream of excitement as she passed by her supervisor, still red in the face after her best-friend’s thespian buddy just literally called her out staring at the picture she just took.

“Boys,” Vega whispered under her breath as she turned to look at Tom who was now talking with two of his make-up artists, flashing them that prize-winning grin. “Will always be boys.”

 

 

***

 

 

“Would it be great if you both would be featured in the same espionage film?”

“Oh that would be a brilliant idea,” Tom said nodding, suggestively smiling at Ben whose face suddenly lit up with the picture. “We haven’t had a joint project ever since War Horse –“

“I would have considered Crimson Peak, but then I realized that we were never in that project at the same time –“ said the London Academy of Music and Arts Alumni, smoothing back his brown hair as he turned to the blonde to his left.

“Well yes,” the RADA alumni said on the other hand. “I remember you pulling out of Guillermo del Toro’s project, and then it was offered to me – to which I eventually phoned you to ask for your blessing before I accepted it.”

“And of course,” Ben exclaimed, smiling at the camera. “I said yes.”

As the two grown men started laughing and giggling like school boys as they sat behind one of the sets that were extensively used in the photoshoot, made to appear like the interior of a Victorian-styled mansion, with a green-screen behind those huge glass windows, as the two men sat on giant cushioned chairs, one holding to another’s arm, holding back their guffawing in front of an amused-looking young blonde interviewer who was sporting the same enthusiasm for whatever they had to answer.

“That’s amazing!” Carrie exclaimed, looking like an excited schoolgirl herself, looking up at the two gorgeous men as if they were her upperclassmen. “Would you say that you want to be in the same kind of feature such as _The Warsaw Scholar_ –“ the blonde young woman pointed out. “The historical sites, all over Paris during the late 1800s, and dressed in iconic period clothes? Or would you want to be in a film with all the modern locations, the cutting-edge gadgets, the women, and the political conspiracies with the 21 st Century twist like _Splinter Games?_ If you both were given a chance to swap, would you take the other opportunity to be in the other’s shoes?”

The two men exchanged curious glances, as smiles start to spread on their faces.

“Oh no no no,” Ben was the first to respond. “You wouldn’t want mine,” he exclaims, referring to _The Warsaw Scholar_. "I'd rather be in _Splinter Games_ – with Tom.” He then winks at his fellow thespian, who just lets out a hearty little _ehehehe_ as he smiles down at his expensive shoes. “Well seriously, you would rather want to be in _Splinter Games_ ,” Ben continued, exchanging excited and mischievous smiles with Tom. “You’ve got a Quartermaster in the form of a really intelligent Saoirse Ronan, you get to work with _the_ Alan Rickman, got an amazing villain in Lars Mikkelsen, and then you’re surrounded by talented women such as Katie McGrath and Natalie Dormer, what else could you ask for?”

“The convertible car I drove in that chase scene in Italy,” Tom answered nonchalantly, causing both men to start snickering once more, as the supposed camera person – who despite having the correct training for cinematography wasn’t the regular designated personnel to handle the device – ended up rolling her eyes as she stood behind the device on tripod, filming the entire interview.

“But seriously mate,” Tom exclaimed, turning to his fellow Academy Award Nominated friend. “You’d rather be in _Splinter Games_? I don’t mind being in breeches and a cravat, working with Judi Dench once more, in Venice and Berlin!”

“Well,” Ben piped up, raising his eyebrows. “I don’t mind being in a hot tub with Katie and Natalie as a distraction, while your trusty Junior Agent Rinko Kikuchi is trying to hack her way into Miss Dormer’s files!”

Tom was blushing now as he had to bury his head between his two big hands, as Vega literally dropped her jaw upon being slightly spoiled by the events in the film by Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch himself. Turning to look at her Junior Writer, Vega had realized that Carrie was in a flush as well, trying not to drop her jaw as to maintain her professionalism. But at this point, Vega was now silently including _Splinter Games_ in her mental list of Movies-I’d-Avoid-Because-My-Roomie-Is-Possibly-Fucking-Hot-Than-What-Is-Legal-And-Its-Awkward.

“You just had to spoil the audience, didn’t you?” Tom exclaimed with a hint of sarcasm in it, as he gestured towards the camera, to which Ben just grins and winks at the supposed audience. “And with the controversial scenes as well –“

“Ladies,” the man who played Sherlock exclaimed. “You’re welcome.”

As Tom made a hopeless questioning gesture at his friend, as Ben just subtly looks at the camera and shrugs, both men were suddenly stuck in a fit of giggles, when their interviewer who was enjoying watching the two heartthrobs who were obviously taking their time with each other’s antics, suddenly asked a new question.

“Speaking of controversies, Tom,” Carrie called out the man dressed in navy blue, who composed himself and smiled at the younger blonde. “You recently have been the subject of an online viral that also involved another individual from the press –“

At this point, Carrie’s supervisor had already moved at her position and was angling at an area where she can be seen on the interviewer’s line of sight. The blonde girl can clearly see the murderous expression on Vega’s face who was busy shaking her head – trying so hard to stop her Junior Writer from talking. Little does Vega know was that Tom Hiddleston was actually listening intently to every word Carrie has said and had cast his eyes downwards, not to mention that he was slowly turning red… despite not being to reapply the blush on his cheeks for that interview.

“They dubbed it as _Way Magazine’s Hiddleston Affair_ ,” Carrie continued talking, ignoring the way Vega bared her teeth at her, only to hopelessly threw her hands up in the air, as she noticed how Ben has looked over in her direction and was also turning red in attempting to stifle his laughter while he sat there in front of the camera. “Could you comment on that and tell us your side of the story, Tom?”

Parting his lips as if he couldn’t believe the words coming out of the beautiful blonde woman’s lips, he found himself unable to answer for at least a few seconds… as his eyes flitted over to the Way Celebrity Showdown Editor who was off-set, glaring at the interviewer as if she just waved a packet of illegal drugs in a room filled with policemen.

Vega clearly was red in the face, infuriated, but the moment Tom caught her eye… there was a small splinter of shock and then a warning look that was silently directed by his best-friend of ten years tilting her head and staring at him blankly, as if she wanted to say, “ _Now what?_ _Your move._ ”

Chuckling, Tom just exclaimed, “I honestly don’t think I am allowed to have a say on that –“

He then subtly ignored being pushed on the shoulder by Ben, before looking up off-set to glance at the woman in the dark blue suit and the red necktie wearing a smirk on her face, nodding curtly at him as if silently telling him that he better shut up.

“Yeah, I don’t really have a say on that,” he repeated softly as he dropped his eyes again on the floor, nudging his male actor friend on the shoulder, as he completely missed the way Vega let out a small sigh of relief, puffing a gust of air that made her fringes bounce.

 

 

 

***

 

 

“We heard that you were teaming up with John Finnemore once more for another Radio Comedy similar to the ground-breaking Cabin Pressure,” Carrie spoke to Benedict Cumberbatch in a solo interview in another set, after conducting her quick solo interview with Tom Hiddleston.

Vega now found herself leaving the camera rolling on its own, after checking on how much more minutes the 64GB SD card could withstand. Sitting on one of the unoccupied sofa props on a nearby set just across the fake car exterior where Ben was sitting on while Carrie stood next to him in the middle of the interview, Vega felt like propping her shoes on and falling asleep on the long sofa… when all of a sudden she felt someone sit on the spot where she was supposed to stretch her legs, making her look up and glare at the dashing young man who sat beside her, carrying a small cup of tea.

“Nice job out there,” she just said exhaustedly, settling her head up on the golden-painted wooden-arm of the couch. Tilting her face to look at Tom who was poised and proper even in the manner of sitting with his legs together as he blew on his hot cuppa, gently turning his head to glance at the Way Editor, who were clearly wanting to go home and collapse on her bed. “I never thought you’d rock a Louis Vuitton that well.”

“You really think so?” Tom exclaimed cheerfully as he allowed her to blankly glare at him as he leaned back on the cushions. “I’m lucky it wasn’t custom made and they only had to adjust it a little.”

With the way Vega raised her eyebrow, the man ended up wrinkling his nose and saying, “Alright, one inch.”

Vega stuck a tongue out at him, and gently nudged his slacks – the only body part she can reach with the tip of her pumps playfully. “You liar,” she said laughing a bit as she sat up, chuckling at herself, the situation, and the fact that she could remain this airheaded and carefree in his presence. And this was Tom Hiddleston we’re talking about. The man who used to make her feel uncomfortable, the same man who had a violent row with her when it comes to pudding, the same person who pulled her into a pool, and the same person who literally walked out on her during an intimate encounter in that now infamous Gazebo in Cornwall. “You big fat, fucking, English, dirty, liar.”

Waggling his eyebrows, he grinned at her with that big set of pearly whites, leaning his body towards her direction for a quick minute. “ _God of Mischief_ ,” he says in that well-known sinister voice. “ _God of Lies_ …” He said before laughing maniacally, as if Loki managed to successfully lift Mjolnir and ran away with it. Unfortunately, the Norse God had to endure being pummeled by a little girl roughly around 5’2”, who picked up the cushions from the sofa and began to hit his expensive sleeves.

“Hey! Watch it woman –“ Tom whined back laughing, keeping his tea out of the way.

Vega managed to retrieve the pillow and was beside herself laughing with no sound coming out of her mouth, as her incognito roommate who happened to be a celebrity and a heartthrob, all primped up in that three piece suit that made him look like one of the finest gentlemen in London, looked at her worriedly as if she lost her mind.

“Loki as James Bond,” Vega said as she found herself keeling over the sofa prop, one of the pillows on her stomach. “I’m sorry Tom, but that’s the most hilarious and ridiculous thing I’ve seen all week…” She glances at him again, and ended up snickering to herself as she covered her mouth with the back of her hand. Tom tried to keep a straight face, but half of him was wondering whether he has spilled tea on his expensive dress shirt and he looked silly… and half of him was treasuring that moment when Vega’s giggling to herself like a little girl who found something adorably funny.

“That’s because you know me,” Tom said, rolling his eyes a bit, albeit the small grin on his face. “Personally.”

Catching her breath and seemingly aware of the slight annoyance and awkwardness her friend was displaying, Vega sat still, but with her head still on the gold-painted arm rest. “Yeah, you’re right… It’s because I know who you are behind the cameras…” she whispered, looking at a distance, her eyes momentarily lingering at the red light coming from her DSLR on a tripod, indicating that it was still filming Carrie giggling as Ben did his own impersonation of Severus Snape.

“But it’s still motherfucking crazy,” Vega suddenly burst out into small giggles, causing Tom to sigh.

The man took a sip of his tea before putting it on the prop side table beside the sofa. “Trust me Vega,” he exclaimed, leaning back completely on the cushioned backrest. “It wasn’t the weirdest thing you’ve seen all week…” He suddenly smiled to himself, a mischievous air spreading about his face. “In fact, I think I may have even seen or _read_ something even more ridiculous – albeit I’d say it was _entertaining_ …”

Vega suddenly widened her eyes despite seeing the entire scene sideways with her head still tilted on the armrest.

Tom licked his lips as he slowly turned his head to smile at her. “Something concerning the London Daily Buzz –“

Gaping at him as she literally dropped her jaw, the woman straightened up as it slowly dawned on her that Tom knew very well about the _Flower Fuzz_ Roses Scandal, and judging by the growing smile on his face that was laced with naughtiness, a little mix of hope, and a whole lot of suggestive ideas, just cemented a whole new phase of horror in Vega’s existence as a Pandora’s Box of questions and exclamations were opened in her mind to which somewhat questions the content of the gossip – whether there is some truth to it or not –

But despite everything, Vega completely lost hold of her rationality as she reached the nearest cushion and swung it in the air, hitting the man repeatedly, as Tom raised an arm against her, trying to protect himself from the woman’s gruesome attacks with the pillow, as the air around the empty set was riddled with Vega’s high-pitched curses and Tom’s really adorable giggling.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU KNEW!!!” she almost screamed, squealing in a small strained voice filled with frustration as she attempted to slam the pillow at Tom’s face. “ _YOU FUCKING KNEW!_ ”

The air was literally filled with _ehehehes_ that were punctuated with the sound of a cushion hitting high-quality fabric. “Of course I knew!” he exclaimed, holding up his arms now and then to save himself from a strike of a pillow. “Don’t you think I’ll never find out – I just didn’t say a thing –“

“ ** _YOU FUCKING KNEW AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME!!!_** ” Vega exclaimed, hissing at him as she knelt on one knee right on the surface of the sofa. She had gotten a hold on another pillow and literally lost it as she pressed one against the man’s chest and hit him on the head of the other, completely forgetting that they weren’t at home playing like a couple of deranged teenaged roommates, but they were at Way Magazine Headquarters – and the one she was currently assaulting was a _Hamilton Hodell Client_. “YOU LYING, CHEATING, BROOM HAIRED BEANPOLE –“

“JESUS CHRIST WOMAN,” Tom was literally squealing as he shielded himself. “THIS IS LOUIS VUITTON FOR FUCK’S SAKE –“

“I DON’T CARE! I DON’T REALLY CARE YOU OBNOXIOUS F—” Vega shot back as she completely got on her knees and ended up pushing the man on the chest with the pillow as she caught her breath laughing.

With the man’s face buried under the pillow, his makeup slightly ruined, but his hair definitely tousled. As he let out a sigh that sounded miserable under the cushion, the moment Vega picked it up from his face as she looked around nervously at passing Fashion Assistants of PO Runners, she was surprised to find a pleasant smile on Tom’s face… albeit with his eyes closed.

Poking him on the thigh, Vega hissed, “Get up, Thain…” Lightly slapping him on the arm, with both of her knees on the sofa… “Wake up!”

Tom quickly got up to his feet and ran a hand through his messed up do, looking around to find that younger POs who may have noticed them suddenly looked away and went back to their tea.  

“They might think I killed the model,” Vega mused in an irate yet comical manner as she sat properly and hugged her knees.

Straightening his suit and attempting to undo the damage caused by the playful wrath of the woman sitting beside him, slowly sinking into shame as she looked at him and slightly inched towards him, knees now dangling down the sofa as she reached out and tried to straighten out his bowtie and his collar.

“Ah, make-up and fashion assistants would be so furious,” Tom whispered mischievously as he looked at the woman sitting beside him who quickly snatched her hand from his bowtie, causing him to snicker.

“Yeah,” Vega sighed, as she inched away from the man, assuming her space on the other side of the couch as she attempted to look innocent and professional, as if she was just having a normal and formal conversation with the RADA-alumni. “They’d be harping on how Miss Guererro is having a field day with that model.”

“Please,” Tom exclaimed as she straightened his tie after Vega’s botched attempt on fixing it. “The Miss Guererro they’re talking about is a little fire dragon who would mention just one name and have them all scurrying away –“

Rolling her eyes at the way Tom once more impersonated some mythical monster as he comically did gestures to his little invented story, Vega looked at him with hooded sarcastic eyes and hissed, “Oh shut up, Hiddleston. That’s preposterous.”

As Tom slowly quieted down, seemingly offended… He watched as Vega quickly turned to him, raising a hand as if she was about to take the painful words away… when he suddenly smiled and Vega ended up gaping at him, as if he was possessed by a deranged ghost. Next thing they knew, they were bent over, laughing at each other’s genuine yet hilarious expressions.

Sighing happily, Tom crossed his arms and tilted his head as he watched Carrie and Ben wrapping up their interview.

“This is fun,” the thespian mused to himself.

Vega just raised an eyebrow in reply, only to sigh in some sort of silent agreement to his statement.

“You know,” he whispered, gently turning his head to smile at his seatmate. “We haven’t had this kind of fun during our last photoshoot project.”

The woman felt her smile melting into something of disdain, along with some sarcastic sneering.

Sighing suggestively, a smile began to spread on Tom’s face. “I wonder what happened…”

Despite the memories of the sexual tension, the palpitations that Tom has caused Vega by suddenly turning up at her awaited first London Way Project, and everything that happened at the rooftop… Vega found herself actually reflecting at the fact that she barely talked to the man she considered as her dearest friend, to a point that she isolated him and treated him as if she didn’t know him at all. Somewhat, Vega understood the lonely tone in Tom’s voice, and she found herself nodding as well.

“Yeah,” a guilty tone could be heard in the way she spoke. “You’re right.” She looked up at Carrie who had subtly instructed a passing PO to turn off the DSLR Vega left behind that was still recording, as she carried on having a little conversation with the man who played Khan in the Star Trek reboot sequel. “I was pretty disturbed back then,” she whispered, randomly looking at her nails. “Sorry about that.”

The man in the Louis Vuitton just smiled at the words she spoke about, somewhat finding comfort in the fact that Vega did not forget about that first project they shared.

Although Tom found himself wrinkling his nose and raising an eyebrow upon having the girl’s response sink in his brain. “Disturbed?” he said in retort, causing Vega to turn in him questioningly. “You’d say you’re disturbed?”

Vega was about to open her mouth to counter his violent reaction, when Tom suddenly giggled and said, “You were more like –“ a snicker escaped his lips. “Mental!”

The woman dropped her jaw, shocked at how the man could easily turn a serious conversation into something of a laughing stock. To make things worse, Vega didn’t want to admit that he did look adorable laughing and snickering in his little corner, considering that she had seen the man down in the dumps, and that was barely even a month ago.

“ _Mental?_ ” she hissed at him. “You’re calling me _mental_ , Thomas?!”

She grabbed the pillow behind her and shot back, as the man quickly raised his hands in defense, still snickering. “I’ll fucking show you mental –“ She slammed the old dusty pillow against his sleeve once more.

“MY GOD!” Tom gasped. “NOT THE MERCHANDISE –“

“THAT’S NOT EVEN YOURS TO START WITH –“ Vega hissed back as the man suddenly jumped out of his seat, completely trying to evade the way the woman moved back on her feet, chasing him off the set, catching the attention of some of the assistants hovering about, trying not to get in the middle of the little squabble shared by the Way Editor and the Accolade-Decorated Thespian, as they were amusedly watching the entire time they were bickering.

“What the –“ Benedict Cumberbatch suddenly mused in the middle of his unfilmed chat with Carrie, as he saw his buddy literally dodge a pillow the Way Celebrity Showdown Editor aimed at him. “What are those two lovebirds up to now?!”

Carrie had to stifle an ugly snicker before turning to face the actor who was also hiding his mouth behind a hand, giggling to himself after realizing what he just said.

“Miss Vega’s not gonna be pleased with what you just said, sir,” the blonde exclaimed.

 

 

***

 

 

You would say that the Photoshoot wrapped up beautifully, with the Fashion and Promotionals department leaving Tom and Benedict some very nice tokens in the form of expensive fountain pens with the imprinted gold signatures of their characters in _The Warsaw Scholar_ and _The Splinter Games_ as a sign of gratitude from Way Magazine.

Vega and Carrie didn’t stay behind for the wrap up tea party, but they politely said goodbye to the two guests of honor who saw them off till the elevator, before being escorted back to the familiar conference room by a bunch of high-strung and hyperventillating Fashion Assistants. Returning to the Way Celebrity Showdown Department after stealing a few scones and macarons, Vega went straight to backing up all the pictures and videos taken that day as Carrie went back to playing Candy Crush.

Inserting the URL to the shared department folder where she stashed all the new footage, Vega sent it as an attachment to Toph, asking him to review it tomorrow when he has the time. As the afternoon came to a close, Vega lost herself in reading unanswered emails that came during that time they were at the 30th floor, and didn’t realize that it was almost 6pm till Carrie stood up from her cubicle and told her that she was going home.

The two women probably walked all the way to the tube, chatting about their experience during the photoshoot, to which Vega found out about Ben’s new projects including one possibility of having himself cast in a Marvel Franchise, but he didn’t tell Carrie which one yet – not until it was confirmed. They also probably passed new acquaintances from the Fashion department as they left Way HQ, some of them recognizing the blonde writer/interviewer and her small brunette supervisor, giving them a wave and an eyeful as they left the lobby. Whether they recognized them because of their work and presence in the photoshoot, and not because they remember Vega murderously chasing Tom Hiddleston from one set to another with a pillow prop – the two just didn’t want to know.

Splitting at the station entrance as she took another train, Carrie waved goodbye to Vega as the woman stayed upstairs, covered in her large coat and wearing a small newspaper boy cap on her head to shield out the cold, as she pulled out her mittens in an attempt to further warm herself.

However as she waited for her train to arrive, she was standing at the platform when suddenly she found someone in a large black coat standing to close to her in an uncomfortable way, causing her to slightly step out of the person’s radar just so she can reclaim her own personal space. Unfortunately, the said person just won’t leave her alone.

Stepping back to glare at the stranger in the thick black coat and the green scarf, Vega found her scowl melting away into something more potent, when she found that familiar face from the Way “British Espionage Edition” Photoshoot grinning down at her.

“Well if it isn’t _Agent Paris Malloy_ ,” she hissed under her breath as she drew her coat closer, referring to his role in _Splinter Games_ , causing Tom’s snicker to slightly echo under all the layers of clothes he was wearing.

“Going home?” he asked with a  little bounce in his voice.

The girl rolled her eyes. “No,” she shot back sarcastically. “I’m going to sleep under a bridge –“ Tom was in the middle of fussing about her worriedly when he had to wince when she hit him on his right arm. “OF COURSE I’M GOING HOME! I’M YOUR ROOMMATE YOU BOZO!”

“Ahhhh, isn’t it a great day to be with you, Aeo,” the man said in a happy sing-song tone as their train arrived and he quickly harried her to an empty seat at the far end, as the rush hour crowd poured in the carriage. Pulling his collar up and putting on a beanie to hide that familiar looking blonde curls, Tom found himself grinning at the girl who sat beside him, eyeing him as if he was a drunkard sitting at the other end of the train looking at her maliciously.

“What?!” Tom finally piped up, feeling a bit awkward at the stern manner Vega eyed him.

As much as he loved how they were becoming playful again, Vega’s sarcasm button was clearly pressed on once more, and she was probably getting too comfortable that he could tell that her restrained affections (if there were any) were being translated into slightly violent acts such as chasing him around with a pillow prop. And considering that she was a respected Editor, she completely forgot about her high-ranking position the moment her best-friend came sauntering in the set wearing an expensive suit that redefined the meaning of _classy_.

Much to her surprise, the sarcasm melted away as Vega started laughing to herself, flashing that small smile that he would often see behind closed doors in their flat, the kind of smile she’d often give him those days after she gave him that first-aid with his wounds, that night he could not forget.

“Nothing,” she said softly, sighing quietly. “You’re just so absurd.”

He looked away, his smile slowly fading away as he sported a sly yet impish expression on his face as he clenched his jaw, looked around for a bit, before pulling out an organizer out of his coat, causing his seatmate to look at him peculiarly and suspiciously as if he were about to sell her weed or something like that.

“Haven’t I told you that I am not the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever seen this week?” he exclaimed as he propped the leather-bound organizer on his arm, seemingly old  but barely used with how properly it semed to be handled, not to mention the neat handwriting on every page. Opening it, the first thing Vega saw were several tickets that read [**_www.powerpaintball.co.uk_**](http://www.powerpaintball.co.uk). “Definitely not after you have seen this.”

Widening her eyes as she saw the word “ ** _Paintball_** ”, she turned to the man who was now sporting the brightest smile in the universe that can light up an entire carriage even if the entire train lost power.

“You sneaky little –“

“You’re welcome,” Tom said smugly, closing the planner and straightening up his cramped seat as he smiled confidently to himself, ignoring the way his proclaimed best-friend looked at him as if he was made of magic.

“For what?” Vega asked in awe, sneaking in a bit of a snicker.

“For Plan B,” her roommate said cheekily with a wink.

Opening her mouth, somewhat guilty as she felt that she didn’t help him again at all, and slightly flabbergasted and amused with the way he smugly raised his chin at her; Vega found herself hitting his arm again with the back of her hand. Tom found himself lightly howling, loud for her to hear, but not for the entire carriage to look in their direction.

“Ow!” he hissed softly. “Woman, you’re being physically abusive again! What was that for?” He ignored the way she stuck her tongue out him. “Jesus the people might think we’re having a domestic –“ Vega’s hand flew again and hit his left arm again, causing him to open his mouth and glare outlandishly at the girl.

Vega wrinkled her nose at him and whispered in a feisty manner with her chin up high, “That’s for being cheeky, Thain.” She looked at him to find him smiling down at his shoes, despite rubbing the sore arm.

“Again,” she added, ignoring the way he seemed to blush.


	41. A Modern Strategy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plan B is for Paintball. Realizing that they're going to need backup for this plan, Tom and Vega enlist Mari and Pete to help them. But can this strategy fix the sexual tensions between Max and Fred?

_You know, Baldain has to have a trigger. - VG_

_A trigger? – TH_

_A warning trigger. Like… for Bruce Banner to turn into the Hulk, it his anger. Like how Marty McFly loses it when someone calls him chicken. Something like that. – VG_

_Ah, a trigger. I see. But why do you have to trigger Fred? – TH_

_Come on Thain, we haven’t had progress for days. Little-miss-tantrums hasn’t emerged from her room and I haven’t seen Loverboy in a week. Someone’s got to aggravate Frederick. – VG_

_I cannot believe you’re leaving me to that task, Veggie-pie. – TH_

_You’re his best-friend! You’re better at doing stuff like that! – VG_

_Fine Veggie-pie, you owe me one. – TH_

_Stop calling me that dumbfounded nickname from hell, Loki. - VG_

_Ehehehehehehe. - TH_

 

 

Exchanging texts when they’re in the flat, Tom and Vega sort of resumed their “silent synced coordination” especially when Max’s around just so not to further raise her suspicions.

But of course the woman was already wary of her two-obviously-scheming-roommates, shooting the two friends ice-cold dagger looks whenever she would see them sitting across each other on the dining table, or watching television on the couch. Despite Max’s silent accusations, Tom and Vega would just end up exchanging weary looks despite the fact that they sat far away from each other, but not too far apart to hold a decent conversation.

The next morning Vega woke up albeit a bit later than the usual, after waiting up for Gale’s nightly calls. It was past midnight we he rang her up, and it was a relief for Vega to realize it was the weekend, meaning she didn’t have to get up early the next day.

However, the moment she was about to open the refrigerator door to have a glass of orange juice, she felt herself squinting at the corkboard Tom has affixed on the freezer surface, that was currently holding a few varying post-its of red and yellow on the edges… and one little blue post-it placed under a yellow one in the corner.

Ever since Vega made that derogatory remark about Tom and Max’s post-it color designations looking all the same back before New Year, the three roommates had renewed the color scheme since Tom got back from the hospital.

With the new stack of post-its Max bought for a whole new start, she decided to claim the pink ones – while Tom managed to snag the blue ones even before Vega can retort. Stuck with the plain yellow ones, the girl just shrugged to herself saying that it was one of her favorite colors.

Now the lone blue post-it was currently posing as a mystery to the woman who seemed to be the only one left in the flat.

Subtly looking back at Max’s room, she plucked her yellow post-it asking her moody female roommie to bring home some of those Danish treats from her sister’s bakery, before plastering it somewhere on the cork board as she gently removed the blue post-it from the board.

 

It simply read:

_10am when you’re up._

_And destroy this when you have read it._

_Also, good morning :37_

_– Tom xoxo_

 

Vega felt herself comically squinting at the “xoxo”, wondering how ridiculous it was for a grown man who has played war captains, heartbreaker pilots, and even a cold-blooded alien prince who almost destroyed New York… to get a pen and write down a tiny “xoxo” on a post-it note.

Rolling her eyes and checking the time that read 9:24, Vega folded the blue piece into three pieces… before tearing it up in shreds as instructed.

 

 

 

***

 

She would have taken a bit of time to make herself look presentable, but she was about to consider putting on make-up when she realized that she’s just meeting up with _Tom_.

Rolling her eyes, Vega palmed her face for thinking ridiculous thoughts as she trashed that idea of walking out of the flat with her off-shoulder top, a black wifebeater underneath and plain black leggings. _It’s something you wear when you’re meeting Gale_ , she told herself. _Not that wanker who smiles as if he’s the Cheshire Cat, that dunderhead_.

Vega strutted lazily in Orleans around 10:15am in her black cardigan, her gray Wicked t-shirt and her black jeans, as she yanked off her TARDIS headphones, looking for someone tall enough to stick out and stand out in the high-cushioned seats of the café with their curly blonde hair, enough to attract attention. But the sight of a group sitting near the entrance completely rebuffed all her theories of how that morning was going to be.

Seated side to side with their arms linked were Pete and Mari, who were sharing a plate of macarons along with individual cups of espressos. They were laughing along and seemingly were in an enjoyable discussion with the man in the leather jacket who was seated in front of them, till he had to turn his head around upon noticing how the couple looked behind him, throwing their beaming smiles at someone else.

“Hello,” Vega exclaimed curiously, sending her Mercenary Sister and honorary Mercenary Brother a sheepish smile as she ignored how Tom moved to the side of the long rounded couch, patting the empty space beside him that was still warm after having sat on it for half an hour.

The moment she lugged her bag between her and the resident Cheshire Cat of RM 505, she turned to find the curious smiles on the two supposed newlyweds.

“Okay,” Vega exclaimed as-a-matter-of-factly, turning to look at Tom too, who was wearing the same kind of smile, as if the three of them were keeping secrets, and it included the woman who just arrived having a speck on her front teeth. “You guys,” she pointed at the brunette couple, and subtly turning the finger on Tom. “Is there some new secret club I wasn’t informed about –“

“Tom invited us over for,” Mari felt herself smiling and hiding a snicker. “An intervention.”

Vega turned to face the man, raising an eyebrows. “You told them?” she said in a surprised manner, sort of crossing her arms as the man had to shrug and run a hand through his curls.

“We need as much resources as we can grab,” the Brit explained, shrugging his shoulders and clasping those big hands together, as he sat up straight on his spot, moving as if he was about to explain a big evil plot. “So I decided to contact Mari and Pete,” He licked his lips and smiled at the couple. “They have nothing but brilliant ideas for the two stubborn nitwits.”

Mari smiled and said, “The moment Tom called me up, we were completely up with his plot. We haven’t had any plans for tomorrow, and frankly to be honest –“ she exchanged an expression with Pete, as the couple wrinkled their noses at each other. “We are getting pretty bored in Essex so…” The beautiful brunette turned to smile at her thespian brother. “We decided to take up on Tom’s offer.”

“Thank you Zethora, my sister,” Tom said adoringly, using the old nickname as Mari reached out and touched the man on his sleeve.

“But honestly Thomas,” Mari said softly. “I’m pleased that you are doing so much better. On behalf of Pete and me.”

Vega found herself looking at her two friends, remembering the day the Mercenary Girls sent a bouquet with a joint card for the injured Tom, and Mari hurrying over to the flat one day with a basket of fruits for her Mercenary Brother, when she was stuck in Productions, still avoiding her male roommate for a few days after he came home.

Touching her hand gratefully, Tom silently said, “Thank you, Marianne.”

Vega couldn’t help but smile upon seeing this scene. But what she didn’t notice was how Mari and Tom exchanged glances towards her direction, to which the awkward silence lingered, with Vega not knowing how Mari was able to squeeze out of Tom the events that happened before, during, and after the hospitalization… in which Mari couldn’t stop smiling when Tom would detail how Vega helped save his life and somewhat instill his spirit back in his person.

The blonde thespian was the first to break the silence as he cleared his throat and released his married friend’s hand.

“I was thinking about what you said about triggers,” Tom exclaimed to the petite girl who sat beside him, as he spread his hands on the table. “And I know exactly what drives Fred bonkers.”

Shaking her head as she looked at him, Vega opened her mouth. “What is it then?”

Tom licked his lips and smiled. “Bets.”

Vega found herself widening her eyes at the man, only to turn at the pleasantly surprised woman who sat in front of her, smiling excitedly. Leaning over the table, clasping her hands as she laid it flat on the surface, she exchanged mischievous and intent grins with the other brunette woman across the table, as she turned to her roommie and said, “I see where you’re going – go on.”

Shuffling on his seat, loving the attention and being given the leeway to deliver his evil plan, you could see a bit of the God of Mischief in the man as he addressed his three friends with what he had in mind. “You’ve seen this,” he said, his eyes flitting over to Mari. “You both have seen it. Remember our first trip to Cornwall? He challenged me to a little romp around the hedges to get the Gazebo first?”

Mari and Vega ironically exchanged glances, only for the latter to turn to Tom, finding a gleam in those blue eyes. “Yes,” both girls suggestively exclaimed, nodding their heads, asking him to continue.

“That man,” he exclaimed. “Just couldn’t stand saying no to a challenge.” He turned to both girls and made a suggestive nod, to which both – even Pete, continued nodding. Pete had been privy to it too, considering that a bet went down during his Stag Night between James, Tom, and Fred – and we all know how that ended, with three of them wasted and covered with the pearls and lingerie of the belly dancers. “Especially now that Max is also at stake…”

“So what you’re suggesting is –“ Vega tried to keep the ball rolling, as Tom pointed both fingers at her and continued.

“We have this paintball war,” he exclaimed, the gleam in his eye turning into something scheming and vicious. “Fred and I are going to push on this bet where he is forced to comply with the ‘rules’ that you and I created –“ he gestured to Vega which just prompted the girl to raise her eyebrows at him. “—if we win.”

“If you don’t win?” Pete asks, confusingly, turning to his wife who was holding the other woman’s hand, looking equally discombobulated as well.

“And what do you mean, _we_?” Vega added.

Suddenly turning around to smile at his seatmate considering her suggestive question, Tom ends up turning to Pete and Mari as he continued the explanation of his plot. “If we don’t win, then we’re going to comply with Fred’ standards…” said the man who just cupped his chin, brushing that three-day stubble. “Considering Fred, he’d want to be left alone. The man can be pretty blunt, but he just couldn’t say ‘mind your own business right now’,” he said with a sigh, rubbing those palms together. “After all, you can’t blame him… he seems to want this too.”

Turning to Vega to address her question, Tom spoke, “ _We_ need to be in one team, because we need those two hard-headed love birds to work with each other. It’s not going to work if Max would hide behind you, as Fred would just be cracking jokes and mistakenly mocking the woman he claims he’s hopelessly attracted to…”

Mari exchanged glances with Pete and found herself nodding unconsciously in agreement to what the tall blonde just exclaimed. Vega on the other hand was somewhat wearing a half-smirk, half-impressed look, wondering why the situation between her two friends somewhat was hilarious and uncomfortable at the same time.

Gritting his teeth, Tom muttered under his breath, “Stubborn git, he admits it once, and then he won’t own up to it…” He runs a hand through his unruly hair as he muttered to himself concerning Fred’s current demise. “Then he hovers around the flat like a lovesick puppy who whines about not letting in…”

Vega found herself making a shocked face at Tom, who just nodded in response to her questioning look, rolling his eyes.

“You know it’s sweet for the two of your to do this for Max and Fred,” Mari exclaimed, looking at the nonverbal gestures exchanged by her two friends who used to be cold, awkward, and sometimes unfeeling towards each other. “But you’re not really obliged to…”

Vega and Tom turned to look at their Mercenary Sister, suddenly at a loss of words, as both turned to each other again, mirroring the same expression of their lips parted, trying to find something to say.

“I feel like…” their blonde thespian friend exclaimed, twiddling with his fingers. “I feel like we’re compelled to do something… After all, we are their friends.”

The smaller brunette clucked her tongue and tapped on the surface of the table, pushing aside the menu that was handed to her a few minutes ago. “I couldn’t stand Max being so grouchy and angry at the world,” Vega exclaimed, as she turned her watch around her wrist thrice, before putting her hand down on the table again. “She’s clearly miserable and confused… and no one else can see it.” Sighing she found Tom looking at her, a small grin suppressed at the side of his mouth. “But I do.”

“And Fred’s my best-friend, so,” Tom exclaimed, adding to that – to which Vega just nodded to him in agreement, causing Mari to smile, with the two friends sitting in front of her not noticing the way she beamed at them.

“Seems like a good enough reason for me,” the older brunette exclaimed, as she absent-mindedly patted Vega’s hand. “We’re definitely in then, aren’t we sweetheart?” she said, turning to wrinkle her nose adorably at Pete.

“I just can’t say no to you darling,” Pete said adorably, leaning in to kiss his wife’s nose, causing Mari to giggle as Vega and Tom quietly smiled at the mush the couple were displaying, as they slowly and awkwardly looked away with the man straightening his collar and his seatmate slowly pulling back the menu towards her, reading its contents.

Suddenly realizing the commotion they were making, Mari turned to affectionately nudge her husband on his chest with her knuckle, before turning to the two roommates who just smiled feebly back at her.

“You two,” she started, trying to compose herself. “You’ve got Fred all figured out… what about the fire dragon?”

Vega found herself opening her mouth making an expression as a prelude to a retort, when Tom nodded at her and said, “You know, Mari’s got a point.”

Crossing her arms, Vega fell back to lean on her seat as she looked at her companions, the gears in her head obviously cranking while at work. “Max’s a first-person shooter addict,” she exclaimed, turning to look at her roommie. “You’ve seen her and her addiction for Counterstrike when we go to arcades,” she said to which Tom nodded to her fervently. “She can’t say no to a game of paintball… as long as you don’t tell her who’s coming.”

“Seems fair enough for me,” Mari exclaimed, looking worriedly at her Mercenary sister. “As long as I don’t have to deal with her wrath –“

Vega held up her hands and smiled smugly, saying confidently, “Nothing I can’t handle.”

Tom widened his eyes remembering Max’s fury considering the great chocolate pudding disaster the previous year. “You can vouch for yourself on that sister…” he said wearily, before rubbing his hands together, signifying that they currently fixed a problem on the to-do list. Vega just turned to him and shrugged, sort of understanding what he meant… but at the same time she wasn’t really sure of what she was getting into.

“Now that’s settled,” he exclaimed happily. “All we need to worry about is the number of people needed in the game –“

“I thought you landed some sort of VIP reservation that would be able to accommodate a small number of people –“ Vega started, raising an eyebrow.

“Well yes,” Tom said defensively, straightening his leather jacket. “But we’re just six – excluding the two impossible lovebirds… we at least need two more people…” He turns to the couple who were sharing a macaron. “Any suggestions, you two?”

Pete shrugs. “I could invite James but he’s out on a team building schedule tomorrow –“

Mari bites her lip and says, “I could invite a few of my co-workers at the shop, but you guys might not be able to be comfortable with newbies on the team…” She looks up at Tom, subtly eyeing the actor from head to toe and says, “After all they’re quite shy women and I don’t think paintball is their thing…”

Nodding, Tom let out a small sigh, before turning to his seatmate who was still leaned over the leather couch, seemingly deep in thought.

“How about you, sissy?” he said. “Any ideas?”

Vega turned to look at him, still slouched down the couch, seemingly running out of options as well. Reading his questioning blue eyes, he was half-optimistic and half-losing hope… causing the woman to squint her eyes and scrunch her lips to the side, an expression she’s fond of doing when she’s thinking.

She would have considered dragging her old Way Quartet way back from her days as a Junior Promotional Officer in training; but with Jesz married, Carol engaged and travelling Europe, and Cris living it up in Good Morning Australia… she definitely had no options as of the meantime.

But all of a sudden, a small devious smile appeared on Vega’s face as it looked to her three friends on the table that a giant lightbulb just lit up on top of her head.

 

 

 

***

 

 

“You guys are looking great!”

 

The voice coming from the helm and goggle system was a bit muffled, but the person to whom it belonged clearly identified the two figures huddled in the middle of the waiting area. One of them, probably almost her height albeit a bit taller, but smaller than everyone else blinked back at them with beady blue eyes behind the goggle system, while the taller one with a bit of reddish fringes seen stuck to their goggles just nodded nervously as they approached him.

“You alright?” Vega exclaimed to the smaller one standing in front of her, as she took her own goggles off to take a gander at the two newcomers, looking around as personnel of Power Paintball helped the other participants gear up.

“I’m doing fine Miss Vey!” Carrie called out from underneath her goggles, breath misting up her vision. “I’m not sure if Toph’s doing fine though…”

Her companion clutching the issued assault rifle snickered belligerently underneath his helm, exclaiming, “Don’t listen to her Miss Vey. There’s a reason I didn’t take my breakfast and it’s because I don’t want to puke all inside this expensive equipment –“

“Well I’m sorry if I wanted a croissant before we got here!” The blonde shot back, causing the taller ginger to attempt to stick his tongue at at her through the goggle helm.

Vega ended up patting both on the shoulder before turning around and rolling her eyes, wondering what possessed her to recruit her youngest team members for this personal endeavor, to which Toph and Carrie quickly said “yes” when she mentioned paintball and free food.

But she barely had left the area when she had to duck when someone swung their rifle at her head, as she was half thankful that she already placed her helm on considering the litany of curses and screams that were directed at her face – causing Toph and Carrie to back away when a tousled-haired Latina approached her in the most threatening manner a 5’4” woman could ever approach her.

“ ** _YOU LYING, CHEATING, OVERDEFIANT BITCH –_** “

Completely dressed up in her gear, Max tried hitting her roommate with the hilt of her rifle, as the girl quickly had to shield herself, attempting to grab the weapon from the angry woman before she could hit anyone – just as the two newcomers who were ready to play started backing away from the roaring Latina who was waving the assault rifle like a spear.

All of a sudden, someone grabbed Max by the waist as Vega managed to tear the weapon away from her hands. “ _Enough,_ ” Tom growled as he dragged the woman away from her other shocked looking roommate, holding the assault rifle upside down, before setting it beside a crate prop that was standing near her.

Still flinging her hands in the air, trying to break free of the six-footer, Max managed to wrestle her away out of Tom’s grip around her arms. “ _You’re in this too you cock-sucker,_ ” she barked at him, before walking back towards the crate to grab her rifle. “ _You fuckers, I shouldn’t have trusted either of you –_ “

She walked away growling, causing the little girl with the mask goggles on to exchange glances with the tall blonde with his own headgear perched on top of his head, not yet obscuring his face.

“You guys alright?” Thomas turned to grin at Toph and Carrie, who were still somewhat recognizable even with their gear on, considering the height difference and the way they stood around four people whom they barely knew, save for their supervisor-slash-friend and her celebrity best buddy.

“We’re alright Tom,” Carrie said in a somewhat dreamy tone, causing Toph to clear his throat. “Yeah, we’re fine.”

You could see her grinning through her goggles, causing Tom to snicker quietly as he turned to his other roommate who was massaging her wrist poking out of her camouflage outfit, still looking at the infuriated Max stomping back towards the locker room, almost to crash into a tall figure.

Maxine was in a hurry to scream at Vega that she completely forgot about her goggles in the locker room. But as she was about to storm inside, she came face to face with a man who was buttoning his camo sleeves with his helm tucked under one arm, turning to look down at her, those green eyes suddenly lighting up upon seeing her.

His brown hair was gelled back, he was clean-shaven for a change, and you wouldn’t squeeze it from Max herself, but the inner workings of her mind just told her that he smelled of peppermint. His presence just managed to darken the cloud on top of Maxine’s head, and add a lightning bolt to it thanks to the tension that was surrounding them… only to be broken when the woman looked away and _politely_ excused herself to march back into the locker room, completely ignoring him after.

Seeing the entire commotion, Tom found himself whistling low, as Vega clucked her tongue.

“Boy, that was close,” the almond-eyed girl exclaimed, raising her goggle mask. “Is it me or does Fred look extra dashing today?”

Subtly eyeing the woman with a glint in his eye, Tom was about to sneer, but just ended up saying, “It’s his prerogative, Aeo. You can’t take that away from him considering that this is one of his _big_ days… and he’s got a _game to win._ ” Clapping his roommate on the shoulder, Vega found herself looking absurdly at the large hand perched on her camo suit, before turning to questioningly look the Brit in the eye. “You alright there, Vey?”

The girl just nods, brushing away that awkward feeling. “As long as Max doesn’t knock me in the face with her rifle, I’ll be alright,” she exclaimed tiresomely as she pulled the mask back down, as Tom smirked at her reply, taking his hand off her shoulder to set his own rifle.

“I’ll make sure that won’t happen,” he said in a serious tone as he turned to look at the man who just walked out of the locker room. “Now if you’ll excuse me…”

It was the first time when Fred smiled that day as his buddy walked towards him, almost his same height as he was completely dressed in the paintball gear that was required of them before they entered the game area. “Looks like you just saw something worth fighting for, ey,” Tom said as-a-matter-of-factly, a small smile easing out from his lips, looking more mischievous than comforting.

“Now let’s not get cocky, Hiddleston,” the dreamy and forlorn look in his eyes fading, Fred found himself grabbing the mask goggles from underneath his other arm, perching it on top of his head just like how the man standing in front of him was doing. “The battle’s barely started –“

“But I wouldn’t say it’s even been won,” Tom shot back, despite the grin on his face. “Come on, Freddy,” he mused empathically, those blue eyes reflecting a bit of concern. “This is for your own good –“

“I prefer if nobody stepped in my business, _Thain_ ,” he exclaimed, gritting his teeth a bit… causing his friend to raise his hands up, almost dropping his rifle if it wasn’t for the strap, making it dangle on his arm. Fixing his collar and adjusting his body armor, Fred stepped beside him and looked at the scene – Vega conversing with her two recruits, and the couple sitting on a pair of box prop crates fixing each other’s armor, with their goggles still sitting over their heads.

“Alright, alright,” Tom said reassuringly, trying to tiptoe around his friend’s emotions.

“It’s something that I _know_ I could _handle_ …” he said frustratingly, swerving his head to find the woman they were subtly talking about emerging from the locker room, wearing an expression almost akin to his, albeit a bit more deranged with that pent up anger after having to find out that he was going to be in their “little private Paintball session”. The man sniffed the air, glaring in the girl’s direction, despite her not looking at his. “If only I was given the chance…”

Tom bit his lip as he touched his head, those long fingers tracing the patterns on his goggle mask. “Fred,” he exclaimed, trying to make his point clear to his clearly heartbroken buddy. “ _This_ is your _chance…_ ”

He turned to his friend and grunted as he affixed his belt in place. “Sounds more like a _sentence_ than a chance,” Fred shot back at Tom once he was done ogling at Max, causing the other man to smirk deviously.

“So does that mean you’re backing out on our agreement?” the blonde exclaimed, looking up at him with a knowing expression. “That’s quite a shame on how _yellow_ you are about it…”

Gritting his teeth, Fred pushed Tom on the shoulder, as he walked away. Rubbing the spot, wondering if he pushed his limits, Tom suddenly had to turn around to find the 6’4” Scot stopping in his tracks, only to spin on the balls of his foot to face him, pointing in his direction. “Can I hold you for your word?”

Tom shrugged nonchalantly and said, “On what?”

“That you’d leave me to do what I please with my _personal concerns_ ,” Fred continued as he moved closer back to his friend, poking him with the extended finger on the shoulder.

The blue-eyed sky scraper just smirked at him and said, “Hm”… before circling him around, eyeing him from head to toe. “Only if you win, _Baldain_. Only if you win. And of course, if we triumph on the othe rhand, you would comply with our terms and conditions.”

“We?” Fred said, wincing, seemingly annoyed.

Tom winks in his direction and says, “You know who _we_ are.” He was about to open his mouth once more to reiterate the conditions of their _agreement_ – when someone was suddenly clearing their throat and was speaking in a threatening tone.

“ ** _Okay you bozos,_** ” came Max’s booming voice, causing for Toph and Carrie to back away from her when she passed by the crate they were leaning on. “ ** _We’ve been here for thirty minutes tops and we are about to start soon,_** ” she growled, trying to avoid the gentle way Fred turned around to glance at her, that longing look in his eyes that he cannot erase. “ ** _Aren’t we going to discuss your stupid terms and conditions on this game?_** ” She said it with much contempt that Vega found herself rolling her eyes.

Grinning at Fred before clapping him on the shoulder, Tom stepped in the middle of the clearing and called out, “Alright everyone! Gather round! Spit spot! Madame Maxine demands her rules and so we’d discuss it before anyone loses a head –“

He had to stop when a smaller figure walked towards him and subtly slammed a sack of ammunitions against his stomach in a feeble attempt to shut him up, causing him to go “ _Ooof!_ Alright, alright,” he said, clearing his throat once more, seeing that Mari and Pete has come closer, along with Toph and Carrie… with Vega who was busy rolling her eyes underneath those goggles, retaking her space between her two recruits.

Looking at Fred who was wearing nonchalant and disinterested, slightly sarcastic expression on his face, Tom then sighed and addressed the crowd in front of them that also included a very very frustrated looking Max.

“Alright,” he exclaimed, looking nervous all of a sudden because of the dagger looks DarkJade has been giving him since the day started that was potent enough even to rival Loki’s. “Fred and I will – once again,” he says wincing, causing Vega to smile underneath her helm. “Be the captains for this war. You six are free to choose on which side you would wish to join –“

However, he wasn’t even done speaking when Max quickly interrupts him by suddenly stepping towards her female roommate. “Alright then!” she spoke up, louder than Thomas or the rest of the group, still startling Toph and Carrie who were clearly horrified of Max even before they were properly introduced. Stepping towards the small girl with her shocked expression hidden underneath her goggles and grabbing her hand, Max announced. “I would like to be teamed up with whoever Vega would choose!”

All of a sudden, Tom moved forward and unlinked their hands, pulling the smaller girl to his side with his gloved hand wrapped around hers saying, “Sorry Max, but Vega is officially my lieutenant. And following the old Mercenary Rules –“

“ _—Darkjade and Aeoren cannot be on the same team._ ”

Vega and Mari found each other chanting that old rule created during the First Mercenary Laser Tag, causing both girls to exchange high fives, much to Max’s chagrin. What was surprising at that moment was that _even Fred was reciting the same rule too_ , causing Tom to grin brightly at his friend as he turned in his direction.

“Exactly what he said,” Tom said winking at Max who dropped her jaw at him as if he just stole her favorite Metal CD collection.

Dropping her eyes to glare at the small girl who was calmly holding her Captain’s hand, Max glowered at her and said, “Vega you motherfucking traitor! You’d team up –“ She suddenly grunted disgustingly in Tom’s direction. “ _With him?!_ ”

Vega found herself looking up at her captain as she raised her goggles, having it perched up on her head. She turned to Max and shrugged, ignoring the way Tom turned to look down at her, seemingly waiting for what she has to say.

To his surprise, she places her hand on the small of his back and says, “ ** _Tell me why not?_** ”

Fred had almost slipped on the netted box prop he was leaning on, having seen the entire scene, his eyes widening at how Aeoren just subtly showed affection for her Captain-Brother. Even Mari did a little squeal upon hearing Vega say it, considering the fracas they all had to go through the last time they had Laser Tag. Max growled and stomped as she moved back towards the older brunette who was holding her gloved hands up to her mouth, letting her assault rifle dangle to her sides. Tom on the other hand was thankful for Max growling like a caged animal, considering that it completely distracted him from the delicate shiver that went up his spine the moment his other roommie touched him…

Standing back to side with Mari, as if she was aching to grab her friend’s arm and stick to her like glue after running out of options finding that her bestfriend-roommate just somewhat “deliberately betrayed” her, Max grunted and exclaimed, “I am so going to hate this game.”

“Weirdly enough,” Vega exclaimed, her arm now linked with Tom’s. “That wasn’t what you said during our last gunfight, Maxi.”

She found herself winking at Max, who rolled her eyes… which was curiously the same gesture Fred did as he stood behind the mischievous Lieutenant and her beaming Captain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “ _Oh Captain, my Captain…_ ” I better not continue as this may end up being emotional, and Vega may end up barfing afterwards. But the thing is, I had to split this plot into two chapters, again. 24 pages and I wasn’t even done with the entire Paintball plot yet! We’ll see how this fares during the next chapter, but we are sure that the two “siblings” would be collaborating more than the usual in hopes that Max and Fred would set their sparks off. Babies.
> 
> Also, this chapter is dedicated to Lilian, whose birthday is today. Many Happy Returns, sweetie! <3


	42. War Paint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The paintball war games ensue. Max and Fred are forced into one team, while their plotting best-friends are on the other, making sure that _something _actually happens. Amidst the vicious strategies, the competition, the intense state of the battlefield, and possible injuries... will Tom and Vega triumph this time with their complex and stressful matchmaking plot?__

They did not dilly dally at all by the time the organizers and Game Master arrived and briefed them on the Power Paintball Game Map and their rules. But considering that this wasn’t Laser Tag at all with the phasers and the spotlights; they were dealing with actual ammunitions, guns, actual game time, and a rocky terrain with a dilapidated yet efficient stronghold that works as a fortress. This was much more serious than their previous team gunfight endeavour.

The moment Max took her side and Vega was literally dragged on Tom’s team (not that she was complaining, but that was part of the plan), Fred called on the married couple to join his team with the indignant Max who wouldn’t let go of Mari; while Toph and Carrie decided that they’d follow their supervisor no matter where she goes.

As discussed with the Game Master, Tom and Fred – being the Captains as usual, decided to take on an equal-opportunity Predator vs. Prey team. Considering that one team was to hide and the other team was to seek them, Predators shooting down Preys on first round would get them on their team, while Preys who would shoot down any opposing team members would officially eliminate them out of the game. Doing a toss-coin flip to figure out who would Hunt and who would be Hunted, Tom settled for Heads while Fred settled on Tails… only for the latter to lose the flip and having his team of four as the poor little ducks sitting in a row in the fortress having to hide from everyone else on the field.

Giving the Hunted enough time to hide in the Fortress, Tom turned to his team and decided to give out codenames to help them identify each other easier during the game.

“Do you have any ideas of codenames you would like to use for yourselves during the game?” He politely asked his team as the quiet and anxious Toph and Carrie just exchanged glances, as Vega raised her goggles at him and squinted at her Captain.

“Is this necessary?” she exclaimed.

“Unless you want to be shot down by an angry Max when someone calls you out by the name she knows you the most,” he said, blue eyes peering at her during the huddle. “Veggie-pie.”

“Don’t you ever fucking use that nickname on me again or I’ll shoot you in the face,” she threatened.

“Treason,” Tom exclaimed, causing the girl to sneer at him before both ended up smiling, much to the confusion of their other teammates.

“Well,” Carrie said in a squeaky voice. “I really have no idea what I could use…”

“So do I, really,” Toph added in a small voice.

Vega looked at her two nervous associates and was starting to wonder whether it was a bad idea to drag them into this fray. “I told you,” she repeated herself over to her best-friend who was leaning over the huddle, seemingly deep in thought as well. “Again, is this necessary?”

Biting his lip as he was deep in thought, Tom quickly looked up and grinned at his team.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this. As your captain, I’ll be _Delta,_ ” he started as he pointed to himself.

“Vey, you can be _Asteri_ ,” he exclaimed, nodding towards his Lieutenant.

“Carrie can be _Aura_ ,” he said to the blonde girl who nodded excitedly.

“And Toph here can be _Rufus_ ,” he said, as he squinted, seemingly trying to recall words at the back of his head.

Narrowing her eyes sarcastically at the man who turned to smile at her, having gathered codenames in a jiffy, Vega found herself saying, “Did you just fucking litter us with Greek and Latin terms you nerd –“

“I’m sorry, alright! I just picked those at the back of my head –“

They were in the middle of arguing when suddenly a signal fire was sounded, the first of three’s before the game would be started. Quickly pulling down their goggles and checking their ammunitions, if their guns are well loaded, the four quickly took their places in the clearing before entering the small forest where the Fort was hidden.

Clapping Toph and Carrie on the shoulder before taking his google mask down, he looked around for his Lieutenant only to find her already in position, hidden behind a tree… shooting him a quick high five with her mask covering that small face.

Muttering to himself and whoever who would hear it, Tom just said, “May the best man win then.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

“ _Vixen_ , what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be covering _Zeta_?”

“But isn’t it that we need to bail out –“

“Shhhh. Just go with what _Alpha_ told us about the entire strategy and then we’ll carry on with _Delta’s plan_ –“

“ ** _HUNTERS INCOMING!_** ”

Fred’s voice could be heard within the walls of the Fortress despite the sudden splatter of green paint on their walls, considering that he was standing on top of the tower, having a good view of the entire clearing surrounding their stronghold, even if he only had three people under his command – An antsy Mari whom Max wouldn’t stop clinging on to, and an uneasy lieutenant with Pete who wasn’t sure on what he was doing.

“That’s the cue Vixen,” Pete exclaimed to his wife, before running up the small flight of stairs. “Go stay with _Zeta_ , I need to cover Alpha. Now go!”

Sighing to herself under the goggles, Mari tugged on her mask before deciding to go into a hidden compartment that had a few windows on the front of the fortress where a sniper was hidden. This was a secret position, as Fred and Pete were clearly visible from the top of the tower, and Mari was a lookout as she could hear footsteps coming from the clearing outside the fortress.

She was about to run to the secret compartment to protect the sniper, when suddenly a few grenades rolled in her hiding place… exploding green paint all over her clothes.

 

“DAMN IT!”

“MAN DOWN, MAN DOWN –“

 

The shuffle upstairs caused the two remaining scouts – the Captain and his current Lieutenant to come scrambling down, trying to cover the remaining team members, as Mari looked up to find someone extending a hand to her, whispering, “Hey _Vixen_ , you’re part of the Hunters now.”

“Vega?” she said in a whisper as she looked at the player from the opposing team, dropping to a crouch, signaling to two of her team members to get inside and infiltrate the fortress, as she turned and took off the red handkerchief that was wrapped around the taller brunette’s arm, signifying that she has joined the opposition.

“That’s _Asteri_ to you,” she grunted as she took a different gas grenade from her pocket. “Now I’m going to haze up your retreat, and we’ll attempt to get to Pete as soon as we can so this entire _fucking operation_ could push through –“

“He’s _Viper_ ,” Mari explained, stopping Vega before she threw the gas grenade. “And you have to be careful because it’s _Zeta_ who is the sniper…”

Vega’s eyes widened as she heard gunshots fired above, along with the screaming of male voices on the second floor of the base, as she just realized that the sniper is hidden somewhere and that it was going to be hard to smoke her out…

 

“HUNTERS INCOMING! THEY’VE INFILTRATED THE FORTRESS --”

“I’M ON THEM VIPER –“

  
Screams were heard as Vega shook her head at Mari and threw the gas grenade onto the clearing, pushing Mari towards the smoke. “Go! Find _Delta!_ He’s gonna need backup, he’s all alone –“

Nodding, the new Hunter took her rifle and sprinted towards the clearing, as the grenade launcher of the opposing team sank bank to a crouch in the haystack pile inside the lower floor of the Fortress, being on the lookout as she waited for her two teammates who were currently exchanging shots with the Hunted Team Head Honchos on the second floor.

 

“I’M HIT –“ she could make out Toph’s voice.

“I’M HIT TOO!”

“Sorry guys,” she could make out Pete’s voice. “Nothing personal, guys. It’s just – OW!”

Vega found herself squinting as she listened in the conversations happening above the lower bunker.

“Sorry mate,” she heard Fred’s muffled voice. “You’ve got green paint on you. I had to shoot you out before those other Hunters can get you –“

“Man! That was harsh!”

“I’m sorry mate –“

 

**_EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENGGGGGG! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENGGG!_ **

 

A loud ear-piercing siren echoed through the clearing and all inside the fortress as red lights began to flash inside the lower bunker, indicating a cease-fire as both teams need to sort out their teams, and to provide leeway for those who have been shot to move to the current safezone that was on top of a watchtower overlooking the entire clearing and the Fortress itself.

She looked up, still hidden inside her haystack, only to find Toph and Carrie descending from the top floor, splattered in red paint.

“Sorry Miss Vey,” Toph whispered, clearly nervous.

Putting a finger to where her lips were supposed to be, she shook her head and pointed towards the door, whispering back, “It’s alright. It’s okay… You guys did good. You fucking tagged Pete out.”

“Good luck Miss Vega,” Carrie muttered as she passed her, touching her on the shoulder.

Vega realized she’s going to need that.

 

 

 

***

 

 

“Did you find where Max was hiding?”

“Probably one of the windows of the Fortress,” Vega muttered without looking up, reloading her paintball, with her goggles perched on top of her head. “Most likely the lower bunker. But I haven’t figured out her location.”

Clucking his tongue, Vega found herself rolling her eyes at Tom as she finished filling her gun with the paint pellets.

“I’m sorry alright,” she hissed back at him. “I had to safely get Mari out and then next thing I knew was my babies are getting shot at –“

“Since when did Ginge and Blondie became your babies –“ Tom exclaimed, furrowing his eyebrows at her, slightly obstructing them with the way his goggle mask was covering his forehead.

“Don’t be so fucking jealous if I’ve got minions and you’ve got none, Hiddleston –“

“Guys,” Mari exclaimed, tugging at the sleeves of her two friends, who seemed to be getting on each other’s nerves, when in fact that she was just used to this kind of “healthy discussion” the two has been having every now and then. “Will you please calm down…“

With Vega escaping the bunk within the last few minutes of the ceasefire, she quickly regrouped with her remaining Hunter teammates on the forest entrance beyond the clearing, which was comprised of the Captain and their current recruit Mari, who happened to be previously part of the Hunted team. However, it had been agreed upon in the café that Mari and Pete would deliberately have themselves shot so that Max and Fred would be left in the team and forced to collaborate (and eventually talk) with each other.

But considering the silence in the fortress, they were pretty sure that there was no conversations being delivered.

“Do you think they’re talking?” Vega asks wearily, peering through the bushes.

“They’d better be,” Tom grunted, cocking his rifle, locking the trigger in place. “I didn’t sacrifice two people on my team just to have them glare at each other in silence.”

“I still can’t believe Fred shot Pete,” Mari exclaimed, palming her face.

“What, why –“

“Some sort of a mercy kill,” Tom explained, those fingerless gloves that was not originally part of their issued uniform and was his own to cover up his own scars, was seamlessly gliding over his rifle, causing Vega to stop what she was doing and watch him work. “Just to ensure that none of his former team members turn against him. Must have smelled that little plot we’ve all made, considering that aside from forcing to take you and Pete with him because Max stuck to you both like glue, your husband had to volunteer the two of you for his team even before he could say a word.”

Mari only sighed.

“He must be that desperate to win then,” the smaller brunette exclaimed shaking her head as she snapped herself out of her trance of watching her Captain literally fingering his weapon with those slender digits.

Unnoticing the way his Lieutenant seemed to be distracted, Tom wrinkled his nose and shook his head in response to her statement. “Not while I’m still Captain and I’m still on the field,” the blonde exclaimed with a bit of ferocity in his voice as he turned to his two remaining team members. “Alright girls, here’s our strategy.”

Pointing behind him, Tom began laying out the plan.

“We are going to have to storm the fort,” he exclaimed. “As much as we know that Fred is at the top mast during the first half of the game and Max is the sniper, they may have changed roles this time around. But considering that there’s only two of them left and these two stubborn-heads just won’t talk to each other –“ He felt like tearing at his hair. “They may still be resuming the same battle plan.”

The two girls nodded and urged him to continue with their wide-eyed expressions.

“Marianne,” he turned to the taller brunette. “I’m going to need you to cover me. I’ll try to take out Max so we can get the woman on our team. And this will surely enrage Fred and we can possibly grab a reaction out of him if _one of us guns Maxine down_.”

Making an impressed smug grin, Vega found herself nodding at the plan ever further.

“Vega,” he turned to his Lieutenant. “I need you to keep out of sight. You’re our sniper. I need you to take down Max if you see her. We’ll all be going for Max.”

“But what if Fred turns up?” Mari exclaimed. “What if he turns up with a full load, a gas grenade, or worse a paint grenade –“

“Sorry,” Vega found herself muttering automatically, remembering that she was able to take out her sister _Zethora_ with the paint grenade.

“No problem, sis,” Mari quickly answered with a small smile. “That was a cool move though. But anyway –“ She turned back to her Captain, who was still deep in thought, crouched along with the two girls behind a crate prop and a large bush near the forest entrance. “This is Fred we’re talking about. He’s extra ruthless, and would stop at nothing –“

Tom sighs. “That’s Fred when he’s frustrated,” he said wearily. “He may be extra frustrated _if Max won’t cooperate with him at all_. Avoid him at all costs. Take him out if he finds you and intends to shoot you out.”

Vega gritted her teeth. “My, my these two are a force to be reckoned with –“

“Remember,” her blonde Captain spoke up again, holding his rifle up, noticing how the warning lights installed around the area were starting to turn red, indicating that the second half of the game was about to start. “There’s two of them and there’s three of us.”

“Right,” Mari said, nodding as she pulled her goggle mask down and prepared her rifle.

“Looks like we’re going to win after all,” Vega exclaimed confidently, before pulling her goggle mask over her face.

“I don’t mind winning,” Tom replied sternly before pulling his own goggles down. “It’ll make our little Matchmaking Task easier.”

 

 

***

 

 

It didn’t take long till the ear-piercing siren went off again, signaling the second half of the game.

 

The first thing they did were to infiltrate the Fortress once more, now realizing that no one was guarding the tower anymore, giving them enough freedom to go through the Fort entrance without wasting that much ammunition. The moment they were in the lower bunk, they decided to gas the floor considering Vega’s reports that Max would be there.

However, after throwing two or three grenades, they didn’t find anyone scrambling out of the way or anyone firing warning shots. As much as it was puzzling enough as it is, the three Hunters decided to pass by the tall stacks of hay and prop cargo boxes that made a long winding maze towards the craggy staircase that led to the upper bunk.

Nearing the staircase, Tom found himself crouching low beside a giant cargo box, asking the two girls to make a run for the stairs as he would cover them in case of anything. Not saying a word or even making a gesture due to the tension happening during the second half of the Paintball game, the girls just did as they were subtly told.

But the moment Mari placed her boot on the first step of the staircase, a red paintball hit the wall beside her ankle.

Screaming, Mari jumped a few steps as she looked around to see who would be aiming at her, as Vega found herself falling back to her hiding place, as Tom quickly peered back at the direction of the gunshots, firing a few paintshells in hopes of getting the assailant to reveal themselves amidst all the smoke.

But it was too late as Mari attempted to rejoin her group crouched near the stairs, a few bright red splotches made big marks on her side.

 

“I’M HIT!!! I’M HIT –“

 

Dropping her ammunition as she looked into the duo’s shocked looks, Mari just found herself shaking her head and dropping to a crouch even if she’s out of the game. Vega had to motion for her to run towards their direction and away from the exchange of shots that suddenly happened between whoever was on the far left of the lower bunk.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered to Vega who ran back with her through the smoke towards a farther hiding place, but not letting her Captain out of sight.

“It’s part of the game,” she hissed, looking back to still see Tom crossing the room in an attempt to get a better look at the assailant. “You did your best – now go! He needs me!”

Giving her a quick hug, Mari exited the fortress as Vega took advantage of her height as she ran alongside the tall walls of hay, trying to follow where her Captain has gone through, still hearing shots ringing through the air, as she silently cursed her contacts for having her eyes grow blurry amidst the smoke and haze.

Ducking as she turned right from the stairs, she suddenly heard silence in the air, causing for her to peek and see past all the muck and dirt if her Captain has somewhat gotten his hands on whoever the mysterious shooter was. But considering how fast Tom moved and how he stood out with his height, Vega suddenly grew worried about her own Captain being booted out.

Peering from her own hiding place, she found him sitting with his back to a giant crate in the middle of the maze of boxes and hay in the lower bunk, cussing to himself as he checked his camo’s pockets, as he seemingly have run out of ammunition –

 

And to make matters worse, he had one leg outstretched… and she could see a suspicious figure that was crouching in the dark corner near a huge stack of hay, giving them away when the yellow straws suddenly moved on their own as the nozzle of a rifle peeked out.

 

“TOM, LOOK OUT!”

 

He barely had time to react when he heard someone running towards his direction, almost knocking him off his balance as he tried to get back on his feet, when a few shots rang in the air that was aimed at his direction –

Only to find his Lieutenant hurling herself at his body, pushing him to the side, as a huge splatter of red paint appeared on her chest, following by at least two more shots, knocking her backwards against the crate he had just been leaning against.

He swore he saw red.

He didn’t know why, but he just saw red.

And it wasn’t the paint blotches on the girl who was currently clutching her chest, staining her fingers with it.

 

He didn’t know what exactly happened, but he found himself throwing his empty rifle aside, only to grab his Lieutenant’s weapon, getting on his feet and aiming at the suspicious figure behind the stack of hay, firing his way towards them… as he saw the shadow rise from their hiding place, firing a few warning shots in his direction, before sprinting for the stairs.

“Max,” Tom growled under his breath as he gave chase.

 

They ended up at the upper bunk with the huge windows, with a long winding hall towards the Fortress Watchtower, where it was the same eyelevel as the Safe Zone watchtower, where the booted-out players were leaning over to get a better glimpse of what was happening within the fortress.

But as Max tried to hide, she couldn’t outrun her tall roommate, given his fury that appeared out of nowhere, and the fact that he could shoot sharp enough to almost hit the woman’s waist and goggle mask – if Max didn’t run fast enough. Green splattered the nearby obstacles that were in the form of barrack walls, more crate props, and various scattered cargo boxes that created a maze of its own in the upper bunk.

Firing back at him with whatever she has left, Max was slowly losing ammunition as Loki himself who was armed with nothing but a paintball rifle and a couple of gas grenades that wouldn’t really help with the situation, she found herself trapped at the entrance of the watchtower – the one place where she didn’t want to go… considering that she knew that Fred was there and was the one currently playing sniper.

“You shouldn’t have shot her,” Tom said menacingly, those blue eyes somewhat screaming murder as he closed in on Max who backed towards the door to the Watch Tower.

“She wasn’t fast enough,” the woman shot back. “And Tom, _it’s just a game!_ ”

Shooting her point blank, the blonde managed to take his vengeance as he painted her google mask green with two paint pellets from the rifle he took from Vega.

 

But then another shot rang through the air that came through the Watch Tower entrance, hitting the thespian thrice on the stomach, as red paint was spread all over his camouflage uniform.

 

“Fuck –“

 

Tom looked up to find Max backing away from the taller figure that emerged from the Watch Tower, an equally enraged Fred who realized that his only teammate has been gunned down.

“ _Game Over_ , Thomas,” Fred growled, causing Tom to roll his eyes.

The blonde pulled his goggles off to take a better gander at his two supposed opponents, who were standing in front of him, their guns at the ready.

He looked from the smaller woman to his best-buddy who was now looking at him murderously for sniping his best gunman in the head… and started to laugh. He was clearly cornered, actually booted out thanks to the giant splatter on his torso, and in a classic god-of-mischief disposition… Tom continued to laugh.

“What is so funny?” The Scot said in an irate manner, not lowering his gun at the defeated Captain.

Catching his breath, looking a bit silly with his mask goggles perched on his head, Tom took a deep breath and moved towards Max, snatching the red handkerchief tied around her arm, signifying that she wasn’t one of the Hunted anymore.

“It’s not _Game Over_ yet, _Frederick_ ,” Tom whispered with a hiss.

Her eyes suddenly widening, Max realized that she was officially part of the Hunters now, having Tom spraying her helmet with a couple of green pellets a few minutes earlier. Fred seemed to have this same realization too, as he quickly backed off from his newly appointed Lieutenant, even if she barely even talked to him when he subtly announced it when there were only two of them left.

Quickly pocketing the handkerchief, Tom backed away from the two, who was about to launch their own Western Showdown, Paintball style… as Max dropped her red-paint loaded ammunition, realizing that she was on the other side. Fred on the other hand took a few steps away from the woman, his rifle still pointed at her.

“Sorry Maxi,” Tom said quickly, throwing his green-paintball-filled rifle to the woman he was chasing earlier, realizing that the tables have turned and that everything was actually working to his favor, hiding his delight by biting his lower lip. “You’re the Captain now.”

Unsure of what to say as she raised her goggles, about to reply a clever retort – Max wasn’t even able to say a word when Tom sprinted off towards the staircase, leaving her all alone with Fred.

She then found herself staring at the dumbfounded Scot, who was still threatening her with his rifle, as the two backed away from each other... weapons pointed at each other. For a moment, she felt like she was in the right position, fighting on the right team, her rifle pointed at the right person at the right time…

But to her surprise, she found that Fred was actually shaking.

After a few more minutes of the mental warfare she held with the man she swore to never to look at again, or talk to again, or even bat her eyelashes at again, Max found herself being astounded with the way Fred tore those piercing green eyes away from her brown ones, as he sighed, looked down, and lowered his rifle.

“I-I can’t…”

Max found herself squinting in his direction, the rifle Tom just threw at her face still pointed at him. “What do you mean you can’t –“

Fred took a deep breath, and he made a sound as if he was choking back a sob. Clearly, if you looked through the goggles and at his eyes, you would see how they seemed to have teared up. The exhaustion, the frustration, and the desperation were all there… and still the woman who stood in front of him just couldn’t see it. Either that or she’s blind.

“I’m tired, Maxine,” he sighed. “I’m tired of this so-called _rivalry…_ ”

The girl lowered her rifle for a while to squint at him in confusion.

“I… I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“Who said that _I_ wanted to do this in the first place?”

“Nobody asked you,” he said bitterly. “Nobody did. And I wouldn’t force you. It just _happened_.”

“That’s the problem with you,” Max hissed, hiding the rest of her fury behind her green splattered goggles as she raised her weapon again. “ _Everything just happens. And for no goddamn legal reason_.”

Fred parted his lips, clearly offended as he stared back at her.

“What are you waiting for? This game’s got to end.”

The Scot dropped his rifle on the floor. “I’m not… I can’t shoot you, Maxi.”

The Latina paused, causing her to life her goggles from her face to get a better gander at him. Much to Fred’s surprise, he saw swollen red lids on the woman, and her face were actually stained with tears when he got a good look at her face. But despite this visage, Max didn’t lower her weapon.

Seeing that look on her face, Fred couldn’t help but close his eyes and say, “I just don’t have the heart to.”

“Then too bad –“

She pulled on the trigger… only for it to jam.

Fred winced, expecting the force of the paint-pellet to hit him somewhere it hurts… but to his surprise, it never came. Opening his eyes, he found himself staring at the woman who was comically turning the knobs on the rifle, cocking and uncocking the hammer, trying to get it to work. Amused, he found himself entranced, watching this supposedly lethal woman struggling with the paintball rifle, trying to get it to work as she cursed under her breath.

“Fucking fucktards,” she growled as she threw it to the ground, clearly tearing up from frustration.

He looked at the woman… trying to hold himself back from gathering her in his arms and enveloping her in a long warm embrace, knowing that it would not end well.

“Maxi…”

The girl turned around and started to walk away from the Watchtower Entrance, leaving her opponent there all alone as she seemed to have admit defeat, shaking her head miserably all to herself.

Completely confused and albeit relieved, not being able to be splattered by _anything_ , Fred got a hold of his senses and began to run after the girl.

“Maxi –“

He wasn’t prepared at all when the woman picked up a paint grenade from her pocket and threw it over her shoulder, with the “bomb” exploding near his feet.

 

 

 

***

 

 

Tom didn’t stay behind for the epic showdown between Baldain and DarkJade.

In fact, he knew that there has to be a witness to what happens to the two remaining players in the game, as someone has to know who wins and who gets the lethal splatter. But even before he can give a damn, he was already running down the stairs down to the lower bunker, returning to the last spot he could remember…

…and he found her there, sitting against the crate where he left her, wincing with her hand pressed against her chest.

“Oh Vega,” he heard her name escape his lips as he dropped to his knees right in front of her. “Vega darling, are you alright – Please, please, _please_ tell me you’re all fine –“

Pulling her up, he quickly turned her face towards his, checking her body for any sign of pain, bruise, or injury, as he littered her with endless questions like “Does it hurt?” and “Where does it hurt?”, getting worried every moment that she remains unresponsive with her face just contorted in pain as he held her against his body, his hands shaking as he traced the splatter of dried red paint on her chest –

“Th-Thain –“ came the croaked voice. “You’re crushing me –“

Realizing how tightly he has wrapped his arms around her, Tom quickly retracted himself from the girl as he helped her sit up, half-praying that she wouldn’t notice how red he was becoming in the face… But even if he pulled his goggle mask off, he wouldn’t be able to hide that expression of worry and relief upon seeing her straighten her posture all on her own.

“Oh sissy,” he mused as he sat beside her on the hay-filled floor. “I am so relieved that you’re all right –“

The girl just ended up rubbing a sore arm, and as she hit her chest with her fist at least twice, she managed to crack the hardened paint that decorated her camouflage. “Jesus Christ that mean shot from Maxikins didn’t hurt as much –“ she said in a hoarse voice, as she tried to stand up, only for the man to sit her down again, telling her to relax. “It did knock a bit of air out of my lungs, made me feel like I choked a bit – But you are quite the chronic worrier, aren’t you Thain?”

Placing both his gloved hands on her shoulder, she found herself looking up into those cornflower-blue eyes filled with apprehension. “Come on _Lieutenant_ ,” he said in a teasing manner, his voice getting raspy at the mention of the rank. “You laid your life out on the line for me… You should only be given the highest honors.”

Slightly wincing as she looked up at his beaming face, finding traces of mischief on those porcelain cheeks, finding traces of stubble on his prominent jaw. “If you say so,” she says with a small chuckle. “ _Captain_.”

The way she said it made his heart swell, and he couldn’t understand why.

But the next thing Tom knew was the girl was stuck in his headlock, as he found himself ruffling her short hair that had already grown a few inches since the time he first saw it short. Vega was actually laughing out loud as her “brother” took her by surprise and started to adorably man-handle her, tangling those long slender fingers in her dark hair in an attempt to rough-house her in the most playful manner of telling her how much he enjoys this… and how much he probably secretly adores her. But at this point, it really wasn’t a secret anymore.

“Thain! Come on!” she squealed. “Too rough! And I’m still sore! Let me go!”

He brought his head closer to hers, lavishing the way she laughed when his fingers got behind her ears, playing with the hair that fell out from her goggle helmet perched on her head. “Oh, but you just told me that nothing hurts,” he teasingly growled in her ear. “Veggie-pie scared of a little rough play?”

“Toooooom!” she exclaimed out loud, now wrestling against him, still giggling. “Stop –“

To her surprise, at the mention of the word “stop”, his playful roughhousing actually came to a halt, much to her relief.

But what she didn’t expect that as he loosened the way those strong arms slung around her neck, his lips suddenly brushed back the bangs on her forehead as he planted this chaste kiss on her skin, causing the girl to stop struggling the moment she felt it.

Unhooking the way his arm was curved around her shoulders, she turned to look at the man she used to call brother, before taking it back, leaving it with just his name, then slowly learning to call him by the name he gave himself in her anonymous presence when she was a child, and then seeing him as that lost friend she always saw him. If this happened two years ago (or even several months ago, during the previous year), Vega would have glared at him, and even cussed at him, burning the man with those treacherous words she swore she couldn’t say to him now… after all that happened.

But now… despite the awkward silence, she didn’t understand what gave her the courage to look up in those sapphire eyes that hid too many secrets, despite the warm smile he was giving her… As it also made her question the courage she had earlier to _figuratively take the bullet_ for him…

The words that escaped her lips were soft and throaty… “What was that… for…”

To her surprise, the man had no excuses this time, nor had the feeling that he needed to many any. Tom could only warmly smile at her, his hands never leaving her shoulders, feeling his fingers seemingly digging through her camouflage high-necked polo, as if they wanted to sink against her skin – “I’m just – I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Vega felt herself smile as she tore those unfazed brown eyes away from his blue ones, amazed at how she treated this new kind of intimacy, and secretly aghast on how she was actually enjoying it. Parting her lips to reply to his kind words –

“ ** _YOU FUCKING CUMSLUT! STOP WHINING LIKE SOME SORE LOSER AND FACE IT LIKE A MAN THAT YOU LOST –_** “

The short haired woman suddenly blinked, realizing that this wasn’t her voice at all.

Even Tom had to raise an eyebrow, wondering what or who would dare interrupt such a precious moment that he shared with his “sister”.

Max appeared from the upper bunk, stomping her high boots that came with the camo issued outfit as she made her way down the stairs, her dirty mouth littering the air with all the curses she knew. Fred followed down behind her, his lower half covered with red paint, as he slightly winced with every step, considering that the paint bob did explode at his feet.

“WELL I’M SORRY BUT THAT WAS RUDE, AND MEAN –“ the tall Scot shot back, growling, dragging both of their issued assault rifles with him, clearly upset and disappointed with the turn of events.

They literally passed by the other set of self-declared “Mercenary siblings” in their team, who were watching them with shock and confusion from where they were sitting, wondering what must have happened upstairs after they were tagged out.

“THIS ISN’T YOUR GUN CONTROL GROUP, MCALLISTER,” Maxine bellowed back, almost at the entrance, those fierce dark-brown eyes swearing to burn her tall enemy down the ground. “THIS IS FUCKING PAINTBALL. WE’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO KEEP IN CHECK OF OUR GOOD MORAL VALUES –“

“WELL WE’RE GOING TO SEE THE REFFEREES AND I’M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS –“ Fred gestured to the red paint that was splattered all over his issued boots as if he stepped right into a decaying zombie carcass. “—IS DISQUALIFIED SINCE YOU THREW AN INVALID TEAM-COLORED GRENADE AT ME.”

Max turned around and disgustingly snorted at him. “You sir, are such a loser.”

But with the way she turned around and marched angrily out of the Fort, she didn’t see the pained and offended look of hopelessness in Fred’s eyes as he silently sighed to himself and painfully walked out of the lower bunk, his legs still aching a bit after that blast.

Tom found himself whining out loud as he removed his hands from his roommate’s shoulders, as the woman sitting next to him found her smile slowly melting into something that expressed something so bitter, considering the realization that their plan backfired once more, after technically having to lose the game where they strategized so hard for them to “win”.

Exchanging crestfallen looks, Tom ended up miserably falling in a sitting position next to Vega against the crate, as the woman found herself palming her face in complete defeat.

 

 

***

 

 

As they all split up after the Paintball game, Max announced that she was going back to the flat to do some errands for her sister, Fred found himself saying that he’s going back to his own flat as he had to wait for an important call, while Mari and Pete had to excuse themselves since they had to attend a scheduled afternoon tea with the latter’s mother somewhere in the city.

Tom and Vega found themselves left with the younger set of the group, who couldn’t stop thanking them for the experience despite being booted out of the game early on and during their first mission. Their Editor on the other hand kept telling them that it should be her (“And me,” Tom would urge her to mention him, considering the plan was also his) who should be thanking them for helping them out in their little war games endeavor… despite how it eventually turned out, given that Vega had briefed Toph and Carrie about their little “matchmaking” project.

The thespian then insisted to treat the four of them to pizza, to which his roommate tried to persuade him from not doing, much to the chagrin of the Junior Writer and the Graphics Designer. But of course, thanks to his charm and Vega losing to a toss-coin game, Tom finally had his way.

Sitting in front of the window, having Cheeseburger and Bacon pizzas along with their own cup of sodas, the four paintball participants ended up talking about their lives, mostly Tom asking Carrie and Toph about how they ended up in Way. Carrie talks about her dreams of becoming a Celebrity Scoop Writer, while Toph talks about his dreams of eventually making it in big budget animation studios like Pixar and Dreamworks. In return, Tom decides to tell the story of how he and Vega ended up being friends, but not before Vega making Carrie promise not to turn his little story into a scoop…

Amazed at how the two were some sort of “childhood friends”, but revolutionizing the meaning of it thanks to the Internet, Carrie talks about how Vega would have been so shocked to find out that her online best-friend turns out to be a classy Shakespearean-trained theatre actor. Vega ends up eyeing her roommate from head to toe and says that Tom was nothing but some Shakespeare dork back when she was in high school… causing the man in question to tilt his head back laughing out loud, almost disturbing the other patrons with his thunderous _ehehehehe_.

With dinner over and they all had their soda refills before calling it a night, Toph and Carrie thanked their hosts for the dinner and of course the eventful War Games earlier that morning before they hopped into a cab.

Left alone, Tom and Vega exchange happy yet weary looks as they decide to reassess their plans over their two warring best-friends as they decided to hang around Orleans once more before going straight home to the flat.

However, despite the troubles they have been facing… Tom found himself noticing something peculiar with his female roommate as they got out of the cab and walked towards their favorite hangout café.

“You don’t seem to be wearing your ring today, Vey,” he said thoughtfully, his eyes clearly hovering over her fingers as she held on to him, laughing about his little joke about Toph and Carrie having orange-haired babies.

She shrugs and says, “I can’t afford to lose my engagement ring in a paintball fight, Thain.”

Smiling to himself, he took her hand and slipped it under his arm, to which she did not retort at all.

Discussing of swapping orders this time, Vega getting the double shot of espresso and a smidge of chocolate that Tom always has for their visits, and the man ordering his best-friends favorite Caramel Macchiato for a change, they were about to sit down in their favorite leather round-table spot, when they realize that it’s occupied.

Tom was considering taking a different spot, but upon Vega’s closer inspection… she couldn’t believe whom she saw sitting at their table, drinking a cup of black coffee.

“Well if it isn’t Cupid and Eros,” a thick Scottish Accent echoed from the man who was wearing a blazer with his brown hair gelled back, clearly having taken a bath and changed into a more decent set of clothes after being splattered by red paint earlier.

“Isn’t that the same god?” Tom exclaimed, rolling his eyes.

“Aren’t you two just halves of a whole?” Fred sneered back.

Hearing that comment, the blonde found himself cautiously looking at the woman he was with; anxious on what expression she was wearing on her face, only to find her wearing a puzzled look following Fred’s subtle jab.

“What’s up, Baldain?” Vega finally broke the awkward silence, summoning the courage to sit on the same table… After all it was their table, Tom had it reserved forever since they started plotting, and Fred was their friend…

“Of all the places, you had to choose Orleans for your cup of sarcasm,” the blue-eyed man exclaimed, looking around, before glancing at his friend.

“We used to frequent Orleans, Thomas,” Fred said sternly, his green eyes cold and exhausted, with the mischievous gleam in it gone for some obvious reason. “Before you…” he shrugged. “Started hating this place.”

Blinking twice, Vega found herself propping her chin against her hand as she looked away, as Tom was secretly plotting a way to sew up Fred’s mouth like what Thor did to Loki if he wouldn’t stop speaking.

Seeing as he struck a nerve, Fred decided to wipe away the mocking smile on his lips, as he shed his shields and revealed to his two friends his true colors… as he sighed miserably to himself, the black circles around his eyes becoming prominent, showing how truly bothered and melancholy he had been for the past few days.

Tom looked at his friend and recognized the state he was going through – the bout of uncertainty, the endless longing, and the start of an impending heartbreak. And for Thomas, he knew this feeling more than anyone… even Fred.

“I…” the Scot started, seemingly unsure of what to say, as he tapped nervously on the side of his coffee cup. “I’m here to adhere to our terms and conditions of our _agreement_ ,” he exclaimed, those green eyes rising to meet Tom’s.

The thespian found himself blinking at his forlorn friend. “But you won,” the words escaped his thin lips. Exchanging uncertain looks with his female seatmate, Tom spoke again. “In fact, it is _we_ who should comply with _your_ requests –“

Fred sighed. “By default, Max is on your team,” he explained. “And she shot me down. No – in fact, she bombed me. _You guys won._ ”

Tom and Vega had to withhold their gasps, but they couldn’t help but to exchange a very _very_ subtle fistbump under the table.

Pretending he didn’t notice anything except the deadpan faces on his friend who was really good at acting and his “best-friend-sister” who is good at being oblivious at everything, Fred found himself closing his eyes as he said, “So here I am… not just following the rules of our agreement, but begging you both as your friend…” For a moment, they swore that Fred fought to blink back his tears. “For your help.”

The woman found herself loosening her collar as she turned to her friend who sat to her right, who was wrenching his jaw – a favorite expression he makes in the middle of a favorable tension, as his calculating look slowly melted into something mischievous enough to change the dreary atmosphere on the table.

“Thain and Aeo at your service –” Tom said cheerfully, breaking into a bright grin.

“How can we help you?” Vega continued, leaning forward, wearing the same mischievous smile as her best-friend’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was still on a bad writer’s block when I was writing this chapter. What helped me get going was to play three different songs at three different occasions – “Take Me or Leave Me” by Idina Menzel and Tracie Thoms (movie version of Rent), Big Bang’s (KPOP) “Last Farewell”, and Annie Lennox’s “Walking on Broken Glass” (although this song is more appropriate for the entire Cornwall affair).
> 
> For their codenames, Vega’s _Asteri_ means “star”, Carrie’s _Aura_ is another word for “gold”, and Toph’s _Rufus_ means “red”. Fred’s _Alpha_ and Max’s _Zeta_ talks about the two opposite ends of the alphabet (English Alphabet, mind you), while Pete’s and Mari’s nicknames slightly explains their personalities, but they’re really random. Tom’s just _Delta_ , which wasn’t supposed to mean anything… till I realized that _Delta_ means “Triangle”… and to think about it, he’s always in a love triangle in this story. Poor Thain.


	43. A Classically Unconventional Strategy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three heads are better than two. But will too many cooks spoil the broth? Or will too many plans drive Darkjade away?

“What about a nice dinner out?”

“Do you have a suggestion buddy? Somewhere she won’t waste the food by throwing it at my face?”

“I don’t think Max is that rude –“

“Come on Thomas, you’ve seen her.”

“She eats all of those walnuts in Vega’s salad when she intends to throw it away. Says that it’s a waste of good nuts. Right, darling?”

“Yep, that’s true.”

“And she berates Vega when she doesn’t eat brussel sprouts –“

“You don’t eat brussel sprouts?”

“I- I just don’t like them…”

“Well then thank God that Maxi isn’t that picky with food,” Fred exclaimed, sort of glinting those green eyes at the small girl sitting next to his best-friend, wearing a high-necked collar on a light-blue sleeveless polo, with her cardigan on her arm. “All I know is that she hates French Food and maybe I should probably avoid those Fine Dining places that we often go to, Thomas.”

Tom was about to speak, a finger up in the air, supposedly to give a suggestion in going to _La Croix dela Lune_ , or the restaurant that they fondly refer to as _Croix_ , where he and Fred used to frequent when they were still College students. But upon hearing what Fred had to say about abandoning the French Fine Dining idea, he just had to bring his hand down and whistle, saying, “Alright…”

But then all of a sudden, Vega was shaking her head, her fingers playing with her bangs as she suddenly licked her lips and said, “No no, this won’t do.”

Both men then turned to the only woman in their company, with puzzled looks on their faces.

Suddenly realizing that she was thinking out loud, and the only men in their group of Mercenaries were looking at her worriedly, wondering if they said something wrong, Vega found herself waving her hand as if to erase everything she has just said. “Forget what I said, don’t mind me,” she exclaimed, making a face, biting her lip, feeling a bit ashamed for suddenly having no filter. But it’s been a long day and she’s exhausted… you wouldn’t wonder why the filter would just slip off…

“Please Vega –“ Fred started.

“No really, sissy,” Tom added. “We need your inputs.”

“Huh?” she suddenly said in surprise, blinking. “They’re silly and they wouldn’t be any help –“

“You know Max more than the two of us combined,” Fred exclaimed, a bit of sadness in his voice that did kind of sound like a kind of yearning.

Weird thing was, Vega found herself making a face at Baldain considering the fact that she knew how Fred and her female best-friend would often hang around in cafes, even take lunch at pizzerias together and she’d tell her all about it… and this spanned during those days before she even transferred to the flat. In fact, she knew how Fred and Max would have shared lunch dates _for no legal reason_ _at all_ back during that _one particular trip_ when everyone _was actually in London_ … including a Promotional Officer originally based in Australia who was there for a training program…

“And between all three of us, we know she’d definitely listen to you,” he said, as you could definitely hear how Fred was close to giving up in the tone of his voice.

“Tell us the best way you think Max would yield in,” Tom exclaimed, putting his hands together as he leaned on the table. “And Fred and I would work around your ideas.”

Uncrossing her arms, Vega said, “Alright then. What do you gents have in mind?”

“Fine French Dining,” Tom shot before Fred could even open his mouth.

“But that woman hates seeing _escargot_ on the menu –“ the Scot quickly shot back. “What about fine dining at a Greek restaurant or somewhere with authentic Italian cuisine –“

Vega suddenly found herself shaking her head in disagreement, causing both boys to drop their joys in complete surprise to find her saying no. “What makes you think that you can get that woman to sit still at you in the middle of a dinner service and not throw salad pieces at your face?” she said sarcastically to Baldain, who squinted at her before realizing that she has a point. “Bonus points if it’s not French, but most likely she wouldn’t stand one minute before flinging food at you, even if it’s the most expensive Sushi in London.”

Tom found himself tilting his head, while Fred found himself raising a finger and whispering “Ah, Japanese. Will take note of that,” to himself.

The two men then found themselves at a loss, with Fred twiddling with his fingers and Tom playing with his teacup. And then both turned to look at the girl sitting on their table with her head clearly running on rusty gears.

“How about a movie?” Vega found herself suggesting.

Tom snaps his fingers. “Yes!” He exclaims excitedly. “Or a play. I could probably get you tickets to whatever you both would prefer that is currently having it’s run –“

Baldain shook his head.

“Leaving us both in a dark room without any supervision – even it is with other people, is clearly a bad idea,” he spoke, running his fingers on his recently clean-shaven face. “You’ll never know what that woman could be up to…”

“We’d go with you,” Tom suddenly spoke, the blonde pressing his lips against a knuckle, thinking. “Vega and I could act as buffers –“

Vega quickly spoke up against it. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Thain,” she said, placing a hand on Tom’s arm. “The moment she knows were both in it and then she finds out she’s stuck with Fred here, she’d go ballistic. And for the record, having the two of us there… would even infuriate her.”

She turned those insightful dark brown eyes towards Fred’s troubled green ones. “We need the two of you to be alone… but you have to put Max in a spot that 1) she cannot hurt you, 2) she cannot retort, 3) something she cannot walk out on.”

“A full-on entrapment,” Tom whispered, gently wrapping his hands around the girl’s fingers that were now digging onto his sleeve.

“Precisely,” Vega spoke as she turned to smile at him, subtly untangling her fingers from his, as an internal voice in her head was scolding her in the loudest personal voice available, asking her why she was being too affectionate with him lately. Honestly, even with her inner conscience, Vega has no answer for her.

“I would like to hear what you’ve got on this, Aeoren,” Fred said in an interested tone, albeit his gaze turning a bit dark… a clear sign that he is liking this.

“All right then,” the blonde exclaimed, pushing back his hair and straightening his shoulders as he looked his roommate in the eye. “Give us your best shot of an entrapment plan, Vega,” he exclaimed, a small sly smile forming on his lips. “Tell us how someone like Max would fall for such a trap that she couldn’t get out of…”

 _Or someone like me_ ¸ a small voice in her head answered as she returned Tom’s mischievous smile, as she leaned forward and began stretching and detailing her plan to the two boys.

“Okay boys,” she exclaimed, stretching a bit, and taking a sip of her double espresso. “If you want to trap this Tricky Jade, you need to know what she is comfortable with… and what could convince her to change her mind and listen to you Fred.”

Both boys nodding, Vega continued speaking. “What is the one thing she’s somewhat comfortable with?” She turned to Tom. “You know this, Thain.”

Biting his lip and jerking his jaw, he looked up as he was deep in thought. “Let me see,” he mused out loud, placing a finger on his lower lip. “If it’s not her sister’s bakery… _it’s the flat_.”

Vega nods and returns him a sunny smile.

“Alright,” she exclaimed, before passing on the question to Fred. “Fred, what is your idea of a good night out?” Before the man could open his mouth, Vega raised a finger and pointed at him. “And just to specify, _a romantic date_.”

Running his thumb against his chin as he squinted, exchanging questioning looks with his buddy, Fred just sighed and stretched his big palms on the surface of the table. “An ideal romantic date for me is a filling authentic meal, and then a nice stroll in the park.”

Gesturing her hands at the man who looks completely puzzled, Vega then turned to Tom and made a as-a-matter-of-factly expression. “There you have it,” she exclaimed.

“I don’t get it –“

“It doesn’t add up, Aeoren –“

Vega ran her hands through her own short hair and placed her hands on the table, looking at both boys. “You just classified the best idea for a date that Max could _possibly_ not say no to –“

“ _Possibly?_ ” the blonde exclaimed, a bit puzzled.

“Yes,” the woman exclaimed, leaning towards him, trying to explain her point, as she looked at the two men who were trying to get around her plan with their furrowed brows and puzzled expressions. “I’m going to put two and two together, given Max’s idea of comfort, and of course I need to put a touch in that romantic gesture that is truly _Baldain’s_ , if you get what I mean. So there you have it – all we need to do is _have an expensive dinner at the flat_.”

For a moment, she thought as if the two boys were looking at her absurdly, till they both widened their eyes and exchanged amused and surprised looks at each other, gesturing their fingers at each other as if a realization just popped in their heads.

“It’s just ideal,” Vega exclaimed at the two boys who sat there musing over what she said, as she can completely see the lightbulbs turning on top of their heads as Tom was now seated on the edge of his seat, and the gloomy aura that surrounded Fred began to disappear as a pleased look appeared on his face. “Max gets to experience your romantic gesture… and you get to add a personal touch.”

The man then raised his green eyes to look at the woman who smiled brilliantly at him, realizing that she just thought of an impressive and _almost_ fool-proof plan. Well… if it did work in the long run…

“A dinner at the flat huh,” he exclaimed, running his thumb against his chin. “I like that.”

 

 

***

Two days later, the plan was in motion.

But not until someone got Max out of the flat so Tom and Fred could prepare for the latter “big night”. Luckily, Vega was willing to play decoy in making sure that her buddy was out of the picture while the boys are playing “house”. Okay maybe less than willing, but honestly, there wasn’t anyone whom Max would respond positively to without clawing their eyes out.

“Oh darling,” Tom would even say. “I’d be happy to take your place, but you’re the only one here whom Max wouldn’t tear the limbs off their person –“

“Alright, alright. I’ll do it.”

However, despite having an understanding and generous friend in Thomas, Vega wouldn’t say the same when she managed to squeeze herself through the door of Max’s room, seeing the woman sulking on her bed, with her giant headphones on as she glared back.

“What do you want?” she barked at an exasperated-looking Vega.

Running a hand through her black hair that now reached her shoulders, the woman dressed in her sleep-clothes that consisted of her old Totoro shirt and some pair of gym pants she hauled from her closet, sat on the edge of her buddy’s bed. “I don’t know,” Vega said randomly, looking bored. “I want to hang with you I guess…” She looked at her and said. “You’ve been cooped up in here for so long. I want to go have chocolate at Max Brenner’s and watch a movie. Wanna come?”

The mention of Max Brenner is supposed to drive the woman right out of bed, dashing right into the bathroom before anyone could even stop her, and getting herself dressed in less than 30 minutes. That was the thing that happened the last time, before New Year and after Christmas… where Vega literally was dragged out of the flat and into a cab in a span of 5 minutes. Or less. But now the woman in question, being asked to have a chocolate experience, is currently glaring at the smaller dark-haired lady wearing a sheepish grin on her face.

“Is this some sort of trick?” Max hissed, taking her black headphones out, squeezing her cheeks with it, and eventually flattening her hair sideways.

Vega made an offended look and shook her head. “You’re too paranoid –“

“Why don’t you take your other favorite roommate? Your _best-friend?_ That suspicious actor? That man you used to call cuntwad?” She hissed sarcastically, causing Vega to wince and tilt her head. “Since you’re all partners in crime now with all the plotting and the evil backstabbing –“

Bringing her hands up and smushing her face with it, Vega found herself nibbling on her fingers out of frustration. “Woman,” she growled, feeling cross this time. “Can you stop being so demented? I’m not here for anything… I just want to watch a movie.”

Max crossed her arms and looked at her roommate, who glared up at her with those beady dark-brown eyes, clearly saying the truth and nothing more.

“Just,” Vega added. “The two of us.”

Max raised an eyebrow. “ _Just_ ,” she started. “The two of us. Huh?”

Vega nodded helplessly, hoping Max would see past her suspicion radar.

“How can I be sure that there’s no freaky business, huh?” she spat back, pacing in front of Vega, clutching her hands into fists. “How do you think I can trust you this time, Vega? First you have the flowers, then the Paintball –“

The smaller woman just groaned.

“Who knows what you’re up to this time?” she muttered bitterly.

Frowning, the girl slouched over Max’s untidy bed and winced. Little does the older girl know that she was busy trying to think of something for leverage, something to convince the stubborn-headed woman to get out of the house and stay away from the location of the ultimate trap. Wracking her brain for something that would be trail of chocolate and sweets for Max to follow outside of the flat, Vega decided to throw the last ball she has in her pocket – sincerity.

“I’m not really up to anything,” she said, wincing, knowing it was a lie. “Tom’s locking himself up in the flat today, going through his scripts before meeting up with his agent. He’s definitely too busy to go out with me.” She looked up, squinting a bit, kind of scared of what Max had to say. Much to her relief, the woman was just looking at her peculiarly, with her right eyebrow raised. “And come on,” she whined. “I can’t _ask_ the man out to a movie, it’ll be… awkward.”

For a moment, it seemed as if Max’s calculatingly cold expression softened into sweet empathy. Little does Vega know that the woman suddenly felt as if she was looking at a mirror – albeit a distorted one. Something that has been morphed and twisted through time and bad decisions. And seeing the expression on Vega’s face when she said the words ‘awkward’, suddenly reminded Max of herself. As much as she’s good friends with Tom, it suddenly makes sense why she would rather hang around with her…

But of course, that’s what Max knows. Little does she know of how deep the iceberg is between Thain and Aeoren’s _first impressions._

“Fine, I will go with you,” she suddenly spoke, a bit of exhaustion showing in those Hazel eyes. She took the headphones that slid down on her neck, rubbing her nape, clearly looking like a cross between bored and restless.

Max hasn’t been out of the house ever since the Paintball, and had buried herself in work, the smell of bread, and even volunteered to babysit her sister’s rambunctious children just so she could stay away from the flat. This happened to be one of those days when she decided to linger in the comforts of her room, and Vega knew her too well along with her schedule to corner her before she can even enter the bath and whisk herself off somewhere she couldn’t find her.

However, despite the flicker of hope in the Asian girl’s eyes, Max found herself narrowing hers. “I will go with you,” she repeated. “But on one condition.”

The growing smile on Vega’s face melted like a marshmallow that was thrust into the fireplace.

Smirking and raising her hand to cup her chin, Max shook her head and said, “Make that three conditions –“

Vega found herself groaning out loud again as she tilted her head and let herself fall backwards on her roommate’s bed, flailing violently in response to what she just said.

“First,” Max reiterated, as she leaned over and tugged at her friend’s shirt, causing her to sit up, annoyed. “You treat me out to Max Brenner.”

The smaller Asian girl unwillingly raised her torso from the bed, smirking as her best-friend let go of her shirt, towering over her seated figure. “You’re lucky it was just my payday,” Vega growled as she propped her chin on an open palm, balancing her elbow on a knee. “Fine, I’ll treat you to Max Brenner –“

“I want a Chocolate Fondue,” Max spoke quickly, mumbling to herself.

“A CHOCOLATE FOND—“ the smaller woman burst out. “THAT’S LIKE FUCKING £20 –“

Ignoring her completely, Max started walking around her place again, her bunny slippers brushing against the wooden floor. “Second,” she started, speaking loudly over Vega’s retorts. “I want to eat dinner at Haru Kakoden –“

Burying her face in her hands, Vega now made a loud whine, potent enough to be heard outside of Max’s closed door. “Haru _Fucking_ Kakoden?!” she exclaimed in complete disbelief. “The one with the conveyor belts? Please don’t tell me that you’re going to have me pay for the –“

“Oh hush Veggie-pie,” the woman shot back, her mischievous spirit returning with the mention of the old name. “The price for one meal enough or several sushi plates would be enough to make you cry. I wouldn’t take you away from that torture. I would take much fun and pride in watching you sit there with your measly plate of common California Maki and laugh like an idiot amidst the schadenfreude.”

Vega found herself sneering at her friend who shared the same obsession for Japanese cuisine with her. But she knew she had to comply with Max’s demands if she wants her out of the flat. The woman felt herself muttering in her head how their paintball win seems in vain if she’s like Max’s personal slave (at least to her interests) for a day…

“Lastly,” Max said, halting her pacing so she can stare down her best-friend, who was now sulking in her roommate’s place, just like how she found her earlier. “I get to choose the movie.”

The black-haired smaller girl just shrugged.

“Fine,” Vega muttered. “I did want to watch _Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend_ –“

Max snorted in disbelief. “That heist film?!”

The black-haired woman nodded, fixing her specs. “Yeah! The one with Mia Wasikowska, Chloe Bennet, Helen Mirren, Rachel Weisz, Cobie Smulders, and Emma Thompson –“ She was in the middle of talking about a film of how four women attempt to steal a diamond tiara for their mother’s nth wedding to a Count they hate, when Maxine cleared her throat, causing Vega to halt in the middle of her animated discussion of the film, trying to convince her roommate to watch it with her.

“Too chick flick,” the Latina mused, causing Vega to frown.

“How can you call it a chick fl –“

“I want to watch _Splinter Games_.”

The smaller brunette had to pause, gape at the woman standing in front of her, shaking her head in disbelief. “You w—“ she stuttered, trying to find her voice. “You want to watch _that_ movie?!”

Raising her eyebrow once more, Max let a small sly smile crease from the side of her mouth. “I want to watch _Splinter Games_. Take it, or leave it.”

Vega found herself still gaping at her friend. “But that movie’s got –“

Turning her nose up like a typical rich little snob, Max crossed her arms and turned to her side, walking away from an aghast-looking Vega, her hands still outstretched amidst her shock and horror upon hearing what her roommate wanted to say. However, seeing the disgust and desperation to change her mind on Vega’s face, Max knew that this was her trump card on getting even with her “naughty” roommate.

“Of course, if you even say no to one of my conditions,” DarkJade said in a mocking manner, turning on her heels. “I’ll be going to my sister’s and I’ll be staying there all afternoon with her crazy kids… And I’m so sorry about your little movie date, Aeoren.”

The way she ended it with an evil smile made Vega pout like a five-year old child, not noticing how hilarious she probably looked like.

 

Five minutes later she emerged from Max’s room, looking positively irate.

 

Vega walked across the living room and to the kitchen, quickly abandoning her idea of having cereals for breakfast, and quickly switching to her comfort food of sausages and her leftover stock of rice in the fridge. Little does she notice was the fact that her _other_ roommate was watching her every move, clearly concerned with how her little _operation_ went through.

She was in the middle of heating her rice in a small pan, when her phone on the kitchen counter suddenly emitted that small TARDIS noise.

 

_Why the long face? Did you fail in luring the fish out of the water, Veggie-pie? – TH_

 

Looking aghast at the man sitting on the couch, with his cup of tea and his breakfast that consisted of a measly piece of toast and slices of bananas, Vega gaze up from her iPhone’s broken screen to shoot Tom with a look of sarcasm. Considering that Maxine’s door is open and she’s preparing to take a little shower in preparation for her little romp around town with her reconciled roommate, Vega and Tom had to revert back to secretly speaking to each other in texts if they don’t want their well-thought out plan with Fred to backfire. Again.

 

_Nothing’s wrong. We’re still watching the movie. – VG_

 

She had just tipped her fried sausages on her plate, when she saw her iPhone dancing on the table again, causing her to look at her wide-eyed roommate, leaning over the couch with his phone in his hand, looking at her eagerly for her reply. Shrugging nonchalantly at Tom, she had to squint through her specs at the broken screen to see what he had to say.

 

_What movie are you guys watching then? – TH_

 

Vega found herself blinking at the phone as she turned off the stove, tapping her phone randomly on her chin as she brought her food on the dining table, ignoring the curious look on Tom’s face almost across the hall as she thought really hard whether or not she should let him know –

But then her phone vibrated again.

 

_Judging that disgusted look on your face, I think it’s not your choice, isn’t it? Come on Aeoren! Spill!  – TH_

 

The dark-haired woman gasped and glared at him, considering the trademarked God of Mischief grin that was plastered on his morning face, his hair still all messed up, as he sat comfortably on that couch with his dressing gown over his gray wifebeater and blue loose jogging pants… that showcased too much of his manly parts that Vega is trying not to look at.

Much to his curiosity, his phone finally did that small doorbell sound as he picked it up and see what his favorite roommate had to say for herself.

 

 _Shut up Agent Malloy_ \- _VG_

 

Tom suddenly let out a small suppressed chuckle as his mouth formed a perfect-o, causing him to cover it with his hand in an attempt to silence himself. As he was trying to hide his fits of giggling, Vega just miserably dug into her breakfast, silently cussing at the man in her brain as she tossed her broken phone on the table, away from her food.

 

 

 

***

 

 

“Not having any popcorn?”

 

Max, dressed in her favorite black and red hoodie, her black halter shirt hidden underneath it, sat happily beside a pursed-lip and whiny Vega who was wearing her cardigans over her long printed blue dress and leggings, trying to find an excuse not to watch that kinky spy movie that has her male thespian roommate in it, shagging really attractive actresses on the big screen.

“You made me eat half of the Fondue plate,” she said through gritted teeth as she adjusted her glasses, wishing she just broke her frames and threw her lens out of the window. “I don’t think I can stand having a bowl of popcorn, even if it’s the smallest size.”

Making a face as she shrugged, Max happily popped a buttered kernel in her mouth. “Suit yourself,” she said cheerily, as Vega let out a loud sigh as the lights went down and the trailers went on its final roll before the studio label appeared on the screen.

 _Splinter Games_ was everything it promised.

You’ve got the sights and that intricate plot of having to go undercover in the Dominican Republic to keep tabs on a ruthless drug lord. You’ve got that famous car chase in Italy. You’ve got a sassy Saoirse Ronan as Agent Tristan with her blonde hair tied up just like Quistis Trepe in Final Fantasy VIII sassying up the place as she literally dumped the latest gadgets on Agent Malloy in response to his own sass, considering that he thought that she was too young and too “little” to be a decent Quartermaster.

The fun thing about how Tom portrayed Malloy was that he had this sense of humour not often found in the typical smooth Bond-type spy characters, but the amount of wit and sass, along with the script writing that described Malloy as something comparable to Chuck Bartowski of the said TV-series, made him more appealing to women and admirable to men with his almost clueless personality and wide-eyed curiosity you wouldn’t expect from a seasoned agent. But despite the goofy demeanor and the seemingly innocent disposition that helps him get out of trouble, it turns out to be a manipulative front Malloy provides to get the job done.

But of course, aside from being impressed with the script-writing, the performances, and the fact that Rinko Kikuchi works as the no-nonsense, serious Junior Agent who just can’t get Malloy and his “technique”… of course, there were the women.

Katie McGrath serves as Malloy’s primary love-interest, the mastermind’s sister who happens to be working with the CIA, trying to have her brother stop his operation. Natalie Dormer on the other hand is the mastermind’s mistress, who clearly has taken a liking to the innoncent-looking agent who seems more of a gentleman than a seductive “businessman” that he claims to be.

But the moment Malloy dropped his “innocent” farce and slammed Katie McGrath’s Soleil against a bookshelf and kissed her passionately, while his Junior Agent Sado Makoto was busy stealing pictures of an important file in the other room… you could hear women crossing their legs and gasping in the packed movie theatre.

“Smooth,” Max muttered to an aghast-looking Vega as Malloy slipped a hand under Soleil’s skirt, causing her seatmate to groan in disbelief and disgust. “I don’t remember him doing that to Bea –“

“Shut up, Maxine.”

And of course everyone wouldn’t stop talking about how Tom Hiddleston literally fit the description of a “sex god in leather”, to which Vega couldn’t stop frowning on _that_ idea knowing how the man wears glasses when he drives, almost tripped on the bathtub when trying to step over it, and yawns wildly like a ten-year-old child in front of his breakfast. She swore she saw too much of the man in personal to even consider him something of a sex symbol…

But of course, we all know that this is Vega’s track of mind while she’s trying to keep herself sane when she watched Natalie Dormer’s blonde femme fetale – Regan McRory squealing her head off while Agent Paris Malloy’s face was literally between her legs.

“Didn’t know the man could eat a woman’s box so well,” Max whispered to Vega who was clearly fidgeting in her seat, wondering what else she has to put up through just for their plans to push through. “Oh would you look at how that mouth works –“

“Shut up Max,” Vega hissed, causing her seatmate to snicker madly in her seat, clearly enjoying both the movie and her seatmate’s reactions. “The fact that we live with _fucking_ Paris Malloy makes this _fucking_ movie 300 times more uncomfortable –“

That was when Vega’s phone started vibrating.

Luckily, Max was so busy sniggering in her corner as she watched Reagan go down on the super spy, as the man started grasping the rim of the Jacuzzi, as his Junior Agent who was tracking his activity while he’s undercover was making the same fucked up disgusted face as Vega was making as she looked at the message she just received.

 

_EMERGENCY: Stubborn Fred burned the bread – TH_

 

You could say that Vega covered her eyes in exasperation not because the entire theatre just gasped when Malloy just came in Regan’s mouth.

 

 

 

***

 

 

Making excuses at Max saying that she has to use the bathroom, Vega quickly got out of her seat, taking her messenger bag with her, as she broke into a run the moment she got past the theatre doors… making her way towards a small obscure café near the cinemas, quickly gesturing to a waiter towards an empty hidden couch in the corner of the room for her to sit on.

Pulling out her iPad, she was grumbling under her breath as she turned the screen on, and pulled out Facetime.

Minutes later, Paris Malloy’s face without all the make-up and the gelled black hair was smiling at her through the screen.

“ _Sissy!_ ”

Growling, Vega exclaimed, “Get Baldain on camera.”

Passing his iPhone over to his other best-friend, Fred’s worried yet stern face appeared on screen. “ _Hey Vega –_ “ he started. However, before he could even say a word, the woman he was talking to suddenly exploded.

“What happened?!”

Fred gritted his teeth and looked downwards. “ _I overbaked the bread._ ”

Smothering her mouth with her hand, Vega found herself looking at her watch that read 5:30pm. “Jesus Chr –“ she exclaimed, looking worried as ever as she looked around the corner, giving her a better view of Cinema 6 where Max was still watching the movie, trying to see if some angry Latina has walked past the double doors and was looking for her. “We’ll be done watching in roughly half an hour… could you guys fix the ashen bakery product by then?”

The brown-haired scot found himself scratching his newly shaved chin, looking questioningly at his seatmate. “ _I’m not sure,_ ” Fred answered worriedly. “ _I may have to ask you to stall the little minx for another hour or so._ ”

“Another h –“ Vega took a deep breath. “If we have to wait another hour after screentime – She will end up dragging me to the Sushi Bar and your entire dinner will be for naught. You’re Scottish! In fact, _you’re_ _both_ Scottish! Can’t you fix it?”

The screen that was now clearly framing both boys who just shrugged, was sitting on either side of each other as they set Tom’s phone on the dining table with its small stand. Sighing, Vega found herself nibbling on her fingers as she tried to think of an alternative to the situation.

“What are you guys having for a main meal anyway?” she found herself asking.

“ _Salmon,_ ” Tom quickly answered, leaning closer to the camera, his huge forehead almost obscuring her view of the worried brunette. “ _In fact, we already have it marinated and set, it’s all a-grillin’ in the oven._ ”

 Snapping her fingers, Vega opened her mouth and pointed at the screen. “I got it.”

“ _Got a solution?_ ”

“ _What do you have in mind?_ ”

Her head bowed down as she tapped her head with her fingers, Vega found herself raising it to face the two boys, as she licked her lips, with a possible repair to the currently botched plan.

“Forget the bread,” she grumbled. “You may have to take the five spices in the cupboard and sprinkle a bit on the salmon… we’re turning the dish a little bit Thai-ish for your change of plans.”

“ _Thai?_ ” Fred exclaimed. “ _How is it going to become –_ “

“Do any of you boys know how to make fried rice?”

The Brit and the Scot found each other exchanging glances, but nonetheless wearing clueless and calculating looks on their faces. Tom raised a finger and opened his mouth, about to talk about that one time he made rice for his Below the Line campaign lunch, but considering that he just _boiled_ it, he clearly has no idea how it actually goes in Vega’s head…

“ _Well we can look it up in the internet –_ “ Tom started.

Vega found herself shaking her head. “Might not be enough time,” she exclaimed, as she pulled her phone with the broken screen out, seemingly texting. “I’ll just give you guys some instructions. We still got a fair amount of garlic, am I right?”

“ _Right_.”

“I’ve cooked quite a huge amount of rice this morning,” Vega counted on her fingers. “It would be enough for the two of you for dinner if you transform it into some fried rice –“

“ _Just give us the instructions and we’ll take care of it_ ,” Tom assured her, listening intently.

“Alright,” Vega exclaimed, rubbing her hands together, before grabbing her iPhone. “I’ll also be sending the recipe to both of your numbers. All you need to do is to prepare at least ten cloves of garlic, dice some potatoes and carrots, and then fry some egg to be mixed with the rice once you’re done.”

She looked up to find both boys taking notes, Tom on a piece of blue post-it, while Fred on his iPhone. She found herself wincing, finding it absurd that two grown men are actually intent on somewhat memorizing the recipe when she just told them that she’ll send it via SMS. Shaking her head, she decided to continue dictating, as she tried to simultaneously encode what she was saying on her own smart phone.

“Make sure to get rid of the rice clumps and separate them from each other, considering that they tend to harden and stick together after being refrigerated,” Vega continued, fixing her glasses. “You guys can do it with a fork. Oh and fry the garlic, potatoes, and carrots first… before throwing in the rice. You guys can add some soy sauce or the five spices. I think we’ve got soy in the fridge from my stash…”

“ _I use it once in a while_ ,” she heard Tom say.

“ _I think that’s the one I pulled out earlier to marinade the fish_ –“ she also heard Fred say.

Ignoring the two boys musing to themselves, Vega continued reiterating her father’s recipe from memory. “You can just break the egg on top of the rice, but just keep on mixing and turning the rice over as it cooks. It’ll turn up shredded and mixed in with the rest of the rice. You guys got it?”

Both boys looked up at her from the live feed and nodded.

“You guys sure you wouldn’t have a problem with that?”

“ _We’ll text you in case something goes wrong –_ “

“ _Like we accidentally throw in the egg first –_ “

“ _Or the entire kitchen goes up in flames this time –_ “

Palming her face, Vega had to palm her face in response to the two grown men who were suddenly giggling in Facetime, completely distracting her. “Please don’t joke about that,” she said through gritted teeth, tempted to throw her iPad against the wall. But of course, she wouldn’t risk having another gadget with a broken screen. “Now that you’ve got it, you have to excuse me as I have to return to the theatre and pretend that I haven’t been conversing with you two bozos and have our cover blown.”

It didn’t comfort her at all how Tom’s face lit up. “ _Still watching the movie?_ ”

 “ _Oh,_ ” Fred suddenly said, his grin turning naughty. “ _I already watched your film, mate…_ ” Vega was trying not to wear a horrified look as the brunette, playfully punched his friend on the shoulder. “You lucky man –“

Tom on the other hand, had his eyes set on the camera, waiting for Vega to say something. “ _What part have you seen?_ ” Fred was literally beside himself laughing, as the blonde bit his lip. “ _Have you seen my trademarked snake hips bellydancing scene –_ “

Remembering Paris Malloy’s slightly open dress shirt, his belt unbuckled, with a blonde’s head in between his legs… Vega found herself rolling her eyes as she glared at the same man who played the womanizing spy on her Facetime app. “I’m not telling! Shut up Tom!”

She exasperatedly turned the app off and slipped the iPad back into her bag, shaking her head to herself, wondering how long it took for her to speak to those two clowns and whether Max was already wondering why she was taking so long in the loo.

Much to her relief, the woman was still beside herself laughing when she returned to her seat, realizing that she probably lost almost twenty minutes of air time.

“What happened to you?” Max finally asked once she caught her breath, laughing at the way Makoto threw sludge at Malloy’s head.

Vega took a deep breath and sighed, knowing how much she hates the excuse she has in mind.

“I think I ate something bad, but I’m okay now,” she muttered under her breath, ignoring the way Max burst out laughing beside her, not because of how Makoto told Paris how he smelled of fish and it didn’t stray far from his real personality.

 

 

***

 

 

“I never thought that Natalie Dormer would be that flexible –“

_Please tell me that you guys are ready – VG_

 

“I don’t mind getting tied up on a chair, with Katie McGrath sucking your neck while Natalie is slowly undressing you –“

 

_Freddie’s just setting the candles, and then you can finally take that cab. Brace yourself, sissy. – TH_

 

“I knew it,” Vega exclaimed, without looking up from her phone. “You have some girl crush on Natalie Dormer or something…” Raising her head, as they were passing by some shops in the cold night air; she could feel the fatigue settling in her shoulders as she carried that heavy messenger bag around. “I remember you eyeing a few girls in skimpy costumes back when we watched that Bahz Luhrman film. Is there something you aren’t telling me?”

The woman stopped and eyed her curiously, making Vega subtly slip her iPhone in her pocket, still buzzing with texts from her other roommate.

“I _could_ be bisexual, I have always considered that,” Max exclaimed, pulling up her hoodie. “I had a girlfriend back in high school, remember?” Vega found herself tilting her head, suddenly wondering if this is the reason why she doesn’t prefer getting into a relationship with Frederick. But then again, why not? “And lately,” Max continued. “I do prefer men than women… ever since that bitch stole my stuff and cheated on me with her ex. Little shit.”

Raising her eyebrows and shrugging to herself, Vega thought that maybe she’s on the right track with Max at all. However, if she does ever plan to play for the other side, it could break Fred’s heart. But knowing how fond and how in love the Scot seems to be… She found herself sighing as her breath seemingly formed a slight mist as it escaped her mouth. That was when her phone started vibrating once more.

 

_You’re good to go. You guys can come home. – TH_

 

She was in the middle of replying, when all of a sudden, Max piped up, “Isn’t Haru Kakoden in the opposite direction?”

The smaller girl raised her brows and scrunched her lips to the left, clearly trying to hide the slight appearance of panic on her face. “I just realized that I might have a tight budget,” she tried reasoning out, subtly holding onto Max’s arm. “I was thinking of just taking a few dishes from Coco Sushi and then dash right back home –“

Wrenching her arm off Vega’s soft grip, Max suddenly found herself glaring at her friend. “I don’t like this.”

Running a hand through her hair, Vega tried to remedy the situation. “Come on Max,” she reasoned out. “I’m sorry if I have to back out of Haru Kakoden, it’s too expensive –“

“But you agreed to it earlier!!!” she said angrily. “Haru Kakoden was part of my conditions – not Coco Bar!”

Gritting her teeth, Vega shot back. “ _Coco Sushi_ , and Max! Please! Please do this for me – be flexible!”

The smaller brunette found herself gripping her messenger bag’s strap, wondering how much she has botched their fairly laid out plan, as Max literally stood in front of her, clutching her jacket with both hands, seemingly deep in thought.

Pointing her finger at her friend, Max said in a hushed voice, “Fine. We’ll go to Coco Bar. But we’re going to eat dinner there and we won’t come home till midnight.” Turning around, pulling her jacket tightly around her shoulders, Max marched forwards, seemingly leaving her friend behind.

Wincing, Vega called out, “It’s Coco Sushi –“ Bringing her fists up in the air, she grabbed her phone out of her pocket as she texted as fast as she could, before running after her friend who almost disappeared in the crowd. “Max! Wait!”

 

_EMERGENCY: “We’re eating at Coco Bar and we’re not coming home till midnight.” – Max; GUYS HELP! – VG_

 

 

***

 

 

Luckily, they had to take a cab and took them about ten minutes before they got to Coco Sushi. The good thing about Coco Sushi was that it was closer to the Fulham Grid than the Cineplex. But knowing Maxine, she would have to drag Vega farther from the flat once dinner was over, and probably trapping them in the Black Bean Café until midnight – at a time when Fred would probably have been waiting for naught, the dinner he personally made for Max and him already cold. (And during that moment, she suddenly thought of _someone_ who left flowers in her Hotel Room two years ago, suddenly feeling sorry for them who had to wait for her to return… when she went ballistic and ran to the other side of town.)

While piling up reasons to possibly eat less or convince Max to leave Coco Sushi and go straight home, with alibis ranging from having to make an emergency call to following up that claim she made earlier about a bad stomach and she needed to go back home to take meds – Vega suddenly felt as if she was running out of ideas as they walked through the sliding doors of the Japanese Restaurant.

“There you are!”

For the first time in history, Vega felt so relieved to hear that voice.

She looked up, completely desperate, only to find Tom already seated in one of the stools surrounding the sushi conveyor belt, wearing that shit-eating grin on his face, dressed in his black Armani Exchange cardigan. As his Mercenary Sister grinned brightly in relief at him, his _other_ Mercenary Sister looked at him in complete and utter shock, turning red with anger as she slowly backed towards the door – only for her arm to be held by Vega.

“What is he doing here –“

Beaming, the man who played the Trickster God approached them with a big red paper bag that read _Coco Sushi Takeaways_. “I heard that you were craving Japanese so I decided to take out some for the three of us,” Tom exclaimed cheerily.

“How do you even know that this is what I want –“ Max said through gritted teeth, realizing that she was literally standing in a trap.

“Oh don’t you worry,” Tom said in a stern tone as he took Max’s other arm and marched her out of the restaurant with Vega clutching her arm on the other side. “You’ll find that what we have in store for you is probably better than your idea of dinner,” he muttered.

 

 

 

***

The way back to the flat was tedious.

Max managed to break out of Tom and Vega’s death grip by the time they got in the elevators. Sweating tons, the woman knew that there was a reason why the duo was dragging her back home, and suddenly the entire flat was something fearful for her. And during the entire time the trio stood in the elevator, apart from each other, with Vega playing nervously with her nails, Tom almost facing the other wall but keeping a watchful eye on Max whose arms were crossed, red in the face about to explode.

“Let’s get this over with,” Maxine suddenly barked when the elevator doors swung open, as she marched out as quick as she can, with her two other roommates hot on her tail. Pulling her keys out, she quickly unlocked the door, with Vega and Tom torn between trying to calm her down and snatching the keys from her hands in an attempt to stop her from destroying the knob.

The moment she was able to open it and calmly walked in, Tom thought in a bit of relief that maybe everything would be alright. But the moment her eyes adjusted to the dim glow of the room and recognized the lights coming from the candles set on the table, as well as the man who was sitting on one of the chairs…

That’s when Max lost her shit.

Vega, who had just stepped through the door after Max did, was looking around and wondering how the boys have transformed the flat living room in some sort of romantic fine-dining love nest – when someone’s purse flew past her head (almost hitting the man who entered the door behind her) and hit their door with one sickening splat.

“ ** _HOW DARE YOU?!!_** ”

By the time Vega had raised her head, she found someone standing in front of her – and it wasn’t the raging female roommate who was charging towards her… It was in fact Tom who quickly side stepped and prepared himself for the fists Max was about to throw at his best-friend.

“Max –“

“Wait –“

“ ** _I TRUSTED YOU! I FUCKING TRUSTED YOU AND YOU FUCKING TRICKED ME! I KNEW IT! YOU WERE ALL BEHIND TH –_** “

Tom found himself pushing Vega a bit backwards and out of the way, as he dodged Max’s angry and violent gestures. He probably already received a fist to his chest or two, but before Max can land another – another hand landed tenderly on her shoulder.

“Max! Please!”

The woman quickly spun around to redirect her fists at that one person she knew was standing behind her with the guts to place their open palm on her person, when Fred managed to keep a stern face as he caught her fist – and another as she tried to bring it down his chest as well.

“Maxine, I beg of you –“

“ ** _I HATE YOU! I HATE ALL OF YOU! LET ME GO –_** “

“ **WILL YOU PLEASE JUST LISTEN?!** ” The way Fred raised his voice caused the entire room to become twice as tense than it already was, causing Max to shut her trap and stop her screaming, as Vega nervously peeked from behind Tom, as the man placed a protective hand behind him, keeping his best friend at bay from the chaos that was currently happening at the flat.

Despite yielding to Fred’s initial demands, you can see Max gritting her teeth and her eyes getting filled with tears as she shook in the man’s grip, both his hands wrapped around her wrists.

Realizing that he may be hurting her, the tall Scot gently loosened his grip as he took both of her hands in his, as he allowed his other hand to wander towards her back, letting it rest just above her hip. As the woman struggled against his grip, her eyes averting from the man’s intense gaze… Fred managed to get her attention with that deep voice that she never knew would be so seductive.

“You’ve created such a ruckus, missy,” he whispered, his hands attempting to soothe her of the tension, in hopes that he’d calm her down completely. “Almost a month of all that anger, and you and I both know it could only be fixed by acting like adults and settling it like rational people…”

Max winced, looking away, clearly affected by the affectionate look in the man’s green eyes.

“Now I have set an atmosphere where you and I could talk,” he said in that deep baritone, rivalling even the man who stood by the door, definitely privy to the entire scene along with his other female roommate, who was watching the entire scene intently. “Where you could talk about all that _hate_ you have for me, and let me convince you to think so otherwise. And trust me, this is quite a huge feat for one man to accomplish… let alone have two men scrambling about.”

The woman in his arms gulped, noticing how close his face was to hers, completely ignoring the clear female gasp heard near the door, only to be shushed down by someone else.

“Now will you wait just a minute –“ the woman suddenly blurted out, tears now clearly running down her eyes. “Do you think it’s fair?” She lashed out for a moment, startling the man. Despite being fazed by Max’s sudden display of power, Fred decided to stand his ground and listen. He decided to give her that chance for her to speak. He was thinking about completely releasing her hands, but considering that she stopped struggling against his hold, even the woman realized that she has gotten used to the way he held her.

“Do you think you can just walk in here and convince me to sit down and talk to you?” she exclaimed, her voice harsh, choking back tears. “Do you think I’ll trust you just like that? Do you think I’ll trust you again… after everything that happened, Frederick?”

You wouldn’t say that he was clearly dumbfounded, but he kept silent, as Max’s tears flowed from those melancholic brown eyes. She choked back a sob, before tearing her eyes away from his.

“Maxine,” he whispered as he brought himself closer against her, despite the girl wincing and pushing him away. “We’ve been through this,” he exclaimed. “Even before what happened in Cornwall. I told you that you can put your trust in me, and I completely meant it –“

That’s when a force came from the woman as she tried struggling against his hold, trying to push him away, their previous idyll suddenly shattered.

“Do you remember the last time I put my trust in you, Frederick?” Max hissed, her eyes slowly becoming swollen with how she fought back her tears… but it stained her cheeks anyway. “Do you remember?” The man looked at her as she struggled against his hands, looking away, definitely regretful. The woman sobbed bitterly, her shoulders just slumping, completely giving up on her resolve. “I broke my heart the last time I tried…”

To her surprise, Fred suddenly released his one hand resting on the small of her back, as it cupped her chin, tipping it upwards to face him.

“Oh Maxine,” he sighed, peering into those watery brown eyes. “If you only listened.”

She turned to him in disbelief, wondering what he was talking about.

Wincing a bit, an earlier regret reflecting on his face, Fred’s emotions then melted into something of pained longing as he watched Max gape at him in complete shock as he ran his thumb gingerly against her smooth skin, tracing the contour of her cheeks.

“I have already told you before that I wanted no one else but you,” he said in a whisper. “But this time, I’m not going to ask you to listen anymore.”

Her face was about to contort in confusion as her mouth began to form the words “Why” – when Fred suddenly leaned in and closed the minimal distance between them, completely covering her lips with his, causing the woman to freeze in shock as she limped in his arms, eyes still completely widened as the man deepened into his kiss.

The two witnesses to the scene literally dropped their jaws, as Vega brought both of her hands to her face, covering her own mouth.

Finally releasing her hands, Frederick manages to gently place his hands on either side of Max’s face, gently tilting his head in hopes of getting a deeper taste of his mouth, as the woman consented and yielded to his advances, the true nature of her own feelings flowing out of her emotions, actions, and through the course of the kiss.

Stroking her cheek, Fred gently released her lips with a soft smack, as those hooded eyes opened,  tenderly gazing up the woman who was slowly returning to herself after being launched in an out of body experience caused by a well-deserved kiss that was withheld for more than what was expected.

“This time it’s your body that needs to do the listening,” Fred summoned the courage to speak after that passionate kiss. “But I am willing to pay attention to whatever you have to say. Are you ready for us to talk?”

Unable to answer, completely consumed by passion, Max just nodded, those brown eyes fervently looking up at the man’s emerald ones for the first time.

Gulping upon realizing that he merited a positive response from her, Fred raised his eyes to meet with Tom’s – who just nodded at him, getting the signal. Without another word, his thespian friend placed an arm over the flabbergasted woman who was happily taken aback by the turn of events and silently guided her out of the flat, shutting the door behind him.

Satisfied, Fred smiled down at the woman and guided her towards her seat on the table, with Max receiving his hand as she remained in silence, still astonished by the kiss.

Outside, the moment the flat door clicked closed, Vega managed to tear her hands from her face as Tom quickly swept down and took her them eagerly in his as they performed a childish hopping dance in front of RM 505, considering that their well-earned plot has already been met after that turn of events.

Smiling to himself (and at the woman who shared his joy), at least for once, Tom felt triumphant when it comes to romance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 21 and ½ pages. I fucking swear these chapters are getting longer.


	44. Ninety-Nine Bottles of Truth on the Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vega and Tom look for other things to do while waiting for Fred and Max to settle their differences, and hopefully fall in love.

_Groowl_.

 

Vega blinked, and looked down, wondering if she was the only one who heard that.

Subtly looking at the man seated next to her in front of an old dining set that was left outside the small rooftop of their apartment, Vega found him scrolling through his messages on his iPhone, seemingly waiting for any sign or signal from the couple who were having dinner in the living room of their flat.

Compared to the last memory she has of a rooftop that was cramped and had a lot of production props strewn both sides, she would say that for the rooftop of the living quarters, this was much fairer. Despite the old dining set, it was surrounded by shelves made with natural material, while topped off with vases of bonsai trees. It made her wonder why she never went up to the rooftop, and she only remembered that it existed when Tom suggested hiding up there for the meantime while the new couple (or so they hoped they were by the time they return) sorted out their issues.

“If I reckon,” she even remembered him saying before taking his seat. “I would usually disappear here to read my scripts… when the flat is too tense for me to be in.”

Suddenly, Vega knew where Tom was hiding all along when she thought she was all alone in the flat. She also realized that this is where he went to after that one incident where he mischievously turned off the electricity through the circuit breaker that one time in the middle of their Pudding Wars when she won’t lower the volume of the television.

But at a time of peace and supposed rejoicing, she found herself staring the dim silence of the rooftop, listening to her roommate fiddling with his phone… probably texting _someone_ he hasn’t told her about…

Till she turned around and had to stop herself from snickering upon discovering that Tom actually played Candy Crush.

 

 _Grooooooooooowwwl_.

 

The girl had to wince and palm her mouth upon hearing it, as she pretended to be opening an app on her phone, crossing her legs as she tried to cover up that sound that was coming from her stomach. Once more it growled under pretense, making her wonder why didn’t she take up that offer of popcorn when Max had a bucket. But considering having to finish half of the fondue fountain she paid for, Vega suddenly remembered the movie they watched that made her swear food off for at least two hours.

That’s when her stomach growled once more.

Putting his smartphone aside, Tom turned to look at her as she pretended to be looking away, trying to shut her own body up. “Is that you, darling?” he asked with an inquiring raised left eyebrow.

Vega turned to him with a face that feigned surprise. “Me?” she turned pale wondering if the man thought that the sounds meant another bodily function. “You must be mistaken –“

“Oh no,” the man exclaimed, looking at his watch. “It’s already nine o’ clock and you haven’t had dinner yet –“ Suddenly scrambling to reach for something beside him, Vega was in the middle of formulating an excuse for the man to stop worrying, when he lifted the red bag from Coco Sushi and pulled out two round plastic containers that were transparent enough to show off the colorful culinary designs of the rice rolls that she and Max loved eating from the place.

Still gaping at it as Tom settled them on the glass table that was in between the two of them, the man reached back in the bag and pulled out two chopsticks. “I believe you’d like to use these?”

Nodding, Vega extended her hands as her roommate smiled at her and handed them the utensils. “These chopsticks are quite the challenge,” he said, wincing a bit as he opened the plastic bowls, exposing the rolls to the night air, filling her nostrils with its tangy aroma.

Raising an eyebrow, Vega looked at him and said. “Really, let’s see you use them –“

Watching her set out a small plastic bowl for the soy sauce, he split the sticks into two and fixed them upon his long fingers, before effortlessly picking up one yellow-orange roll with rice bits sticking to it. “But of course,” Tom muttered triumphantly. “I do love quite a challenge.”

Popping it into his mouth, he still managed to pay attention on how the woman snickered to herself, those short bangs moving with the way she chuckled at the way he tried to bite down half of the roll and almost end up dropping it on the rooftop concrete floor.

As they shared the two rice roll sets, the two roommates ate with each other in silence.

They were in middle of their shared content silence, when Vega was about to start on her second to the last Philadelphia Roll when she heard Tom sigh, looking out in the distance. “I wonder how they’re doing downstairs,” he wondered out loud, those blue eyes admiring the almost invisible stars up in the night sky. “We came this far. I can’t believe we came this far.”

The girl smiled as she looked down and realized that they were almost up at the rooftop for an hour. It was truly their intention to leave and give space for Max and Fred over dinner, hoping that they would settle their differences and come with a solution to their sexual frustration. And then everything would follow – a happier Fred, a sweeter Max, and definitely peace in the flat. But as she looks at the content-looking Thomas, she was suddenly proud of standing through the entire ordeal with him, proud to work with her best-friend.

“We’ve gone so far that I swear I will _lose it_ if I find them fighting again downstairs,” Tom said through gritted teeth, almost snapping those wooden chopsticks into two.

Widening her eyes at the man’s sudden violent reaction, Vega found herself swallowing the rice roll in one fell swoop, almost stretching her jaws, not noticing how the man seated beside her thought of how unladylike that gesture was… and was somewhat astounded with how she stretched her mouth, wondering what else she could do with it…

“Calm down,” Vega said once she has chewed through her food. “They’ll be fine. Have you seen how Max kissed him back?”

The man exchanged wide-eyed looks at her, and he ended up whistling.

“Now that’s some kiss,” Tom said under his breath, causing Vega to widen her eyes ironically as she set her chopsticks on the empty plates.

“I told you,” she exclaimed, with some sort of a sheepish smile on her face, wondering if her best-friend ever had the hots for her female best-friend till she thought that it’s probably ten times absurd before pushing that uncomfortable feeling at the back of her head. “You don’t have to worry about them.”

The man with the blonde curls nodded then, subtly looking at her friend who placed aside the used plastic containers, looking randomly at the lights that surrounded the rooftop before getting on her feet to take a little stroll towards the wall, looking over the building and taking a better glimpse of their neighborhood. Setting aside his chopsticks and stuffing the takeaway materials back in the paper bag, he settled it on the now-clean glass-surfaced dining table after Vega had run an unused napkin over their sauce spills and splatters earlier before getting up on her feet. Eventually, he found himself joining her on looking over the wall of the rooftop, as they both leaned on the steel bars that provided security for anyone glancing over the edge.

The moment he took his place beside her, he heard her ask him a question.

“The fried rice,” Vega muttered. “How did it go?”

Much to her chagrin, Tom started chuckling to himself, causing the woman to turn horrifically in his direction, wearing a questioning look on her face.

“You know what,” Tom exclaimed in much curiosity, his blue eyes staring into a distance, where the lights twinkled in the city. “It actually worked…”

Vega rolled her eyes and said, “Of course it worked! It’s my father’s recipe!”

He felt his heart jump when she turned to face him, a big smile growing on her face, eventually showing him those pearly whites, indicating how pleased with how things turned out.

“But still, that’s great!” Vega said cheerfully. “That’s amazing!”

All of a sudden, she stopped and turned to look at the man, surprise in her face. “Wait a minute –“ she exclaimed. “Did you taste it?”

The blonde gestured ridiculously by throwing his hands upwards. “Of course I should!” He said as-a-matter-of-factly. “I cooked it!”

The girl found herself smiling all of a sudden as she looked up at him, somewhat standing there leaning over the brick wall, looking proud of himself. Impressed, Vega found herself setting her elbow on the wall, suddenly making up a list of questions to ask him.

“How was it?”

“It was superb,” he said, grinning brightly at her. “Considering that you could have done it yourself if you were with us, you would most likely make a very good cook, Vega.”

“Of course I’d make a good cook!” she exclaimed. “Not only that it was my father’s recipe, I kind of influenced him with the change in ingredients when growing up! He’d insist that there’s too many ingredients, but when he tasted it – he changed his mind!”

Nostalgia flashed on her face as she seemed to recall a distant memory… but with the smile on her lips, he could tell that it was a pleasant one. “I promised that would cook it for him when I grew older,” she detailed. “When he tasted it and said it was excellent, he said I could already get married.”

The man turned to her in surprise, the twinkle in those blue eyes evident as he watched her smiling into the distance, in the fading lights of the city… wondering how domestic and adorable she could be when she’s finally married. The thought of it made his heart all a flutter… but then sank it down the depth of his stomach for a moment when he remembered about that opal ring on her finger.

He looked away, his smile gently melting.

“Would you say I’m a good cook?” he asks randomly.

The girl turned to him in surprise, clearly wondering what brought about the question. Looking up at him, she realized that she saw less and less of the Hollywood heartthrob everyone was musing about on the internet, and she saw more and more of how Tom truly was. He was insecure like everyone else, but he had enough confidence to transform into another person… especially when he’s in front of an audience. But most of the time, it comforted her to know that he’s just like anyone else… and that made him so human… And despite that he was amazing, and she was glad to be his friend.

“Well I’ve had my share of your English Breakfasts,” she exclaimed, raising an eyebrow, recalling the dishes he had served in her presence. You wouldn’t say that he would pass as a 5-star chef, but Tom had skills. And that was something. “You can go head to head with Dad and have a slight chance of winning.”

“That’s great,” Tom said with a hearty chuckle. “That’s really great…”

He leaned over the wall and smiled to himself, cherishing the way the girl unbelievably shook her head, wondering why the man even wondered about his cooking skills. But all of a sudden, she heard him speaking again… suddenly revealing the intent of the previous question.

“Then maybe I can get married now too…” Tom whispered, smiling giddily to himself as if he was a teenager once more, talking to his older sister about his crush.

Vega turned to him in surprise and raised an eyebrow, surprised that the man was slowly returning to his old romantic self. The sound of hope in his voice and the joy in those eyes made her wonder whether this is just the hype caused by the triumph they both had in pairing two of their friends up… but there was another voice at the back of her head wondering if it’s caused by something else…

But then, seeing how happy he was, it didn’t matter.

“Maybe when you graduate from your baked potato and French toast phase…” she shot back, before punching him softly on the shoulder, causing the man to emit an adorable laugh – the kind he does where his eyes disappear and he bends over, chuckling like a lovable overgrown child.

 

 

 

***

 

 

“Would you like some tea?” Tom asked as he stepped out of the elevator, with the girl in the blue dress following him closely. “I’m planning to make some for myself.”

Vega shrugged, winced, and made a bit of a face, before finally nodding. “I don’t mind a cup,” she exclaimed, her hands behind her back. “Especially if you’ve got some of that Russian Caravan left…” After throwing what’s left of their dinner in the Coco Sushi bag in the garbage chute, figuring that an hour and a half had passed, the two who were starting to get bored of the cold air in the rooftop were starting to talk about watching some reruns on television to shut out the possible sounds coming from Max’s room…

“Considering that Fred doesn’t take her home,” Tom said as-a-matter-of-factly, raising a finger.

“Why would he take her home?” Vega reasoned out as they approached their door. “She’s got her own room, that’s more convenient.”

There was a glint in Tom’s eye as he licked his lips, glancing at her once more before taking his keys out. “Well you do have a point,” he exclaimed, that voice dropping a tone or two. Turning the knob, the two just shrugged at each other as the man opened the door.

Sort of relieved to find the lights closed, a noise that suddenly filled the air caused the two roommates to turn around.

The couple had definitely left the table, with their leftovers being lighted with what’s left of the candles. But aside from leaving the table… they seem to have left a few things on the floor as well, which includes…

Their shoes…

Fred’s blazer…

Max’s hoodie…

And what the duo believes to be Max’s leggings…

The duo had to close the door immediately upon finding that the new couple had transferred to the dimly lit couches, with the Scot bent over the little girl, his face completely disappeared from sight as he peppered kisses all over her bare neck… a hand disappearing within the lowered hem of her halter shirt, seemingly cupping a breast… as his other wandering hand slowly making its way underneath the woman’s short skirt, causing the woman’s eyes to roll up the back of her head as she moaned out a name that was definitely clear and concise to her two roommates standing aghast in front of their door.

 

“ _Ohhh Fred! Please! Yes!_ ”

 

Subtly shutting the door behind him, Tom turned to Vega, definitely wincing. He opened his eyes to find the woman’s jaw unhinged, as she shook her head and covered her eyes, seemingly palming her face, but nonetheless nervously giggling underneath that small hand.

“Pub?” Tom found himself asking her nonchalantly.

The girl uncovered her face, turned to him and eagerly nodded. “Pub.”

He quickly offered a hand that she eagerly accepted as they both sprinted for the elevator once more, leaving the premises before the couple inside RM 505 would even make another sultry noise, or even notice that they were there in the first place.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

The Almarion Rose, or just better known as the “Almarion” is just a few blocks away from the trio’s flat at Fulham Grid. Positively near that one could take a quick walk that would last around 5-10 minutes, the two found themselves standing by the Almarion’s front doors after quite a while, considering that they took their time laughing and talking about that incident they experienced at the flat as they made their way to the pub.

The interior provided a cozy feel with its green walls, comfy leather seats, and its small number of patrons who didn’t seem to notice the well-traveled actor and his obscure yet well-exposed best-friend who was currently acting like a little girl who just walked in a candy store, eyeing all the different-colored beers on tap.

Seeing the amusement in her eyes and Vega’s sudden fondness for alcohol ever since they met again after their two year silence, Tom found himself grinning as he tugged on her arm, bringing her inside.

“Let me introduce to you the best beer in London,” he mused proudly, finding a small table for the two of them to share. “But of course, that’s the best beer _in my opinion_ ,” he said with a wink, causing the girl to roll her eyes at her friend.

Getting the two of them pints from the bartender as Vega waited patiently at her seat, she had to look up from the screen of her phone when Tom arrived with the two glass mugs, slowly pushing one in her direction.

“The Almarion Amarillo,” the man exclaimed as the woman examined her drink, eyeing it peculiarly. “It’s about time you tasted real beer, Vey…”

The girl just managed to laugh sarcastically at him as they both raised the glasses, before they took a trial sip of their drinks, Vega raising an eyebrow in the middle of drinking hers. She found herself looking at the drink again when she finished her little gulp, seemingly amused with how it tasted.

“I actually –” she pouted as she looked at it. “—Like it.”

You should have seen the pride in the man’s eyes when he smiled at his declared female best-friend. “Quite a break from the Talisker you’re used to, right darling?” As his laughter filled the air, the woman ended up sticking her tongue up at him as she took another gulp of it, enjoying the shot of citrus and that malty aroma wafting up her nose as her friend beamed proudly of how she took it almost like how a man would.

"Much better than that whiskey Fred kept shoving under my nose!" By the time she emerged from her drink, Vega had this satisfied smile on her face – and a foam moustache on her lip.

Tom almost ended up choking on his drink upon seeing the decoration on her face, trying so hard not to laugh or giggle at her, as she looked at him wondering what’s wrong.

“What's up with –“

Before she can even finish her sentence, he gently leaned forward and extended his hand, brushing that foam off her upper lip with a quick gentle swipe of his thumb, causing the girl to quickly cover the mouth once he’s done it, as she watched the man pop that thumb in his mouth, suckling off the beer foam from his hand.

Suddenly, feeling a shiver go down her spine as she saw him do that gesture, Vega found herself averting her glance, muttering under her breath. “Do that again and I’ll bite off your thumb,” she said without thinking, causing the man to turn his head in her direction.

“Would you?” Tom teased.

Vega rolled her eyes and said, “Would you like me to try?”

The man waved his thumb in front of her face to which she tried catching it with his mouth… causing the two of them to end up laughing out in their little corner, making them appear drunk without having to finish a single drink just yet.

Raising his mug, Tom exclaimed, “To a matchmaking well done.”

Copying his gesture, Vega smiled and said, “To Max and Fred.”

Clinking their glasses before downing what was left of their beers, before Tom had to turn around and grab another set for the two of them, he found Vega looking particularly happy with her refilled glass. Smiling to himself, he decides to take a gulp of his own, wondering what was going in the girl’s mind as she took another sip.

“Isn’t this wonderful,” she spoke, answering the question he'd been silently asking. “We’d finally have peace in the flat.”

He raised those blue eyes, remembering how the girl would often avoid the topic of romance when they used to be alone. But that was the very old days, but he found himself reminiscing about them, considering that they were talking about a different couple now. But still, sensing the sarcasm in Vega’s tone despite the minimal influence of alcohol, Tom couldn’t help but smile.

“Peace enough to resume that dreaded game we were playing that they rudely interrupted,” the man said, winking at the woman across the table.

“May I ask what’s that even?”

Impersonating his best Loki voice – that he doesn’t really have to do considering that it was him who voiced the character… even played the character on the big screen, Tom straightened up and recited, “ _In the Land of Asgard, where nothing lasts forever…_ ”

Placing her mug down and pointing at the man, who returned the gesture as he stops his recitation so not to even give himself away in that particular pub; Vega found herself sporting a cocky smile as she looked away, trying not to give away how his Loki voice still somewhat catches her offguard, a bit of the fangirl suddenly having a visit.

“Please –“

“Oh, but Vega,” he said, leaning back on his chair. “I want a rematch.”

Laughing as she gripped her chair, the woman raised her head and turned to him saying, “You want a rematch?” The man who sat across her; looking like a boy with how he left his curls untouched and without product, just nodded gaily at her. Waving her hand at his face with a dreamy look, the woman snapped back, “Are you kidding me?! I won’t fall for the same trick twice, Loki! You’re merciless in video games, why would I even think I have a chance against you –“

“Fine,” Tom says, throwing a hand carelessly in the air, as Vega took another gulp out of her mug. “I’ll do you a favor – let’s do a fair play.”

Vega found herself putting her pint down as she raised an eyebrow at her roommate.

“You go play Loki,” he indicated, hand up in the air.

“Not him again –“ she said, hiding a small hiccup.

“While I play Sigyn,” he said as a matter-of-factly, raising his chin up… only to open his eyes to see what the woman had to say for herself.

As much as he wanted it to, Vega was gaping at him as if he went insane, those lips still glistening with the drink she was having. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she knew exactly what Tom was referring to. Loki in the mythology had many wives, but Sigyn was the most notable. And of course, within the Marvel Universe… it’s Sigyn who holds that highest honor of being that gem in Loki’s life. To make matters worse, Sigyn’s devotion and love for a stubborn, hard-headed, and vengeful Loki just reminds her of someone’s insistence, passion, and devotion --

Tom on the other hand watched her turn pale and expressionless at what he just said. As he waited with bated breath to hear what she had to say, the woman took another gulp of her beer, only to slam it down.

“Come on stop messing with me Tom,” she growled. “Sigyn is not a playable character –“

The man pursed his lips at the woman, only to end up giggling to himself, causing the woman to look at him, completely aghast at how he seems to be acting merry and deranged at such a time like that when she does not even realize the fact how the Almerion Amarillo has a fast effect on her own tipsiness.

Realizing despite how strong the Amarillo was, Vega had to pause from drinking it so she can loudly declared how much she liked it, sending Tom into another fit of giggles, completely different and louder than what he was going through earlier.

“Oh shut it Malloy,” she found herself saying, when she found herself raising her head and wondering why that was the character reference that came out of her mouth, considering she was thinking about Loki.

Composing himself, Tom ran a finger on the bridge of his nose, before pinching it, straightening up on his seat. “So,” he asked. “How was it?”

The woman looked at him blankly. “How was what?”

Licking his lip before biting gently on it, Tom was seated in a way that he was facing sideways to his companion, both his legs slung over the right of his seat, his elbows propped on the tip of the chair and on the surface of the wooden table they were occupying. Turning his legs around to face hers and leaning on the table, he then drops these words, “How did _Splinter Games_ fare?”

Vega’s response – dropping her jaw in shock, as if someone just told her that her outfit is so last season, was just too precious for Tom.

Not responding, she drank what’s left of her beer – only to stand up from her seat.

“Hey!”

Tom called out at the woman who walked past him – only to ask the bartender for another round for the two of them. Returning to her seat, she slammed her best-friend’s pint in front of him, as she chugged on her, as Tom literally stared at her, arms outstretched as he gestured to the table and her – completely at a loss at what she just did.

Finishing half of the glass, she slammed it down only to find Tom still peculiarly staring at her, those eyes smiling at her without him even having to curve those lips.

“What?”

“So did you enjoy the movie?” he said in a mischievous tone.

“Are you kidding me?” the woman gestured, almost sloshing what’s left of her drink on the table, considering that she’s still holding on to the glass as she swung it around, accenting her words with a swing of the mug. “How am I supposed to enjoy it when I see it when I clearly see someone whom I live with –“ She looks at him and points at him ironically, “That’s you –“ before returning to her rant. “Doing the most ridiculous things and the _darnedest_ things ever done in porn –“

It didn’t help at all that Tom had discarded the giggling and was outright laughing in his place, even infuriating the wide-eyed and hiccupy Vega.

“I’m so sorry if my anatomy offended you darling,” he exclaimed as-a-matter-of-factly, tilting his head a bit, replying when he got a hold of himself, still riddled in laughter. “But did you like what you see?”

The girl gasped at him, a sound he swore he could be used to listening… considering the _little things he was thinking of_ doing to her to make her gasp in a heavenly manner – just like that...

“Well I’m so sorry I’m-All-Hot-Suave-And-Sexy-Mr-Bond,” Vega said comically, putting her mug down safely now, as she placed her hands on her hips and shook her head sarcastically in tune to her words. “But all I can’t seriously concentrate on what I had to watch since all I could think of when you were literally BONING Natalie Dormer in complete BDSM style, nipple clips, hands chained to the headboard, was –“ Her expression suddenly changed as if she put on her thinking cap, with her eyes squinting and the girl raising a finger to press on her lip. “Oh I wonder,” she said in a mocking tone. “ ** _Could it be that this is how he screwed – I don’t know – Bea?_** ”

Slowly, Tom’s laughter subsided… and so did his smile.

For a moment, Vega felt triumphant – having to explode in the way she wanted to have lost it in Cornwall, tension and alcohol aside… considering the way the sexual frustration has eaten her up during that point in time. But seeing the playful aura has disappeared about Tom’s presence, she suddenly felt a twinge of guilt spreading from within her, as she composed herself, placing those small hands on the table.

But considering the damage done, a sly smile spread on her lips as she knew that this was the one time she could possibly get him to open about the matter.

Placing her hands up to cup her chin, elbows flat on the table, she grinned gaily at her friend glaring at her and whispered, “My turn, Thomas.”

The man just shot her down with those slightly-hurt blue eyes.

“So tell me,” she said, licking her lips, leaning over the table, exuberating a confidence that Tom earlier held, as if the power was transferred over to her all of a sudden. “How did you fall in love with Bea?”

Averting his eyes, suddenly finding himself in the position where he is being pried, despite being used to it in front of the interviewers – this is Vega who’s talking. The object of all his pain, smiling gaily at him, that bright face framed by her curls that were slowly growing out – considering that he never realized she had curls until she cut her hair. And considering the stories she wants to squeeze out of him, she had no idea what the root of all these stories, these heartbreaks, and even his realizations… were all about.

“Come on Thain,” she cooed, blinking those doll-like dark-brown eyes at him. It half-horrified and half-amused him that Vega could be this flirty with just three glasses of beer. He loved her being so forward, but what else if she was being forward with someone else? The thought was just killing him.

“You’ve got to tell someone sometime,” she teased, grinning like a school girl, making it hard for Tom to not try staring at her. “Why not tell your best-friend?”

Hiding the way he swallowed an invisible lump, he found himself pushing his glass of beer away ironically. “I don’t really want to talk about it…”

Suddenly, he felt as if he was being snapped out of his stupor when a loud meowing sound pierced through the veil of silence in the pub, only to realize that it was just his silly almost-drunk roommate, comically whining to his negative reaction. As much as he described it in his mind how it sounded like a cat – or a really adorable kitten deprived of its milk, he would pretty much use another tender insult mentioned in the silence of his conscience so that he would stop himself from probably saying something off-tangent to his favorite roommate.

“Alright, alright,” Tom exclaimed, feeling harried. “Let’s just say,” he whispers, his eyes moving to glance at her face… and moving down her torso, before subtly looking at her from head to toe. “That she’s my type.”

Vega found herself scoffing at him upon hearing his words, thinking how much of an awful excuse that were to evade directly answering her delicate question. But she felt like scoffing even more when she tried to remember every other single woman that entered his bedroom even before he even decided to date Bea.

“Your type?” she muttered sarcastically. She found herself slinging an arm behind her wooden chair. “Right,” she said with a nod of her head, causing the man to finally emit a grin despite that uncomfortable air that suddenly filled his head, considering the fact that this kind of demeanor hasn’t occupied him for weeks, even months. “So let’s see what your type is based on every woman you have probably pushed down your mattress—“

Tom found himself rolling his eyes as Vega began to count from her fingers.

“So they happen to be either: under 5’5”, got dark hair, got dark eyes, or got those squinty little eyes that make them seem so cutely oriental, or they’re all of the abo –“

The woman found herself making a face as she almost wrenched her jaw out of place, silencing herself with a hand to her mouth when she hiccupped. What made the entire scene even worse was the way Tom laughed… He hasn’t laughed that hard before, but it neither sounded boisterous or obnoxious. In fact it was a wonderful ringing, a wonderful sound, a variant of his typical _ehehe_ -ing; and it suited the way the wrinkles around his eyes formed or how his cheeks became rounder as he tried to get a grip of himself…

…and what was worse was how horrified Vega looked when she realized that she was making this mental note of how wonderful he laughed at that moment. When he was done, he was wearing this bright yet suggestive smile that made the woman swallow the lump in her throat.

“Please don’t tell me that you fell for her because she reminds you of someone,” she sounded like begging when the words escaped her drunken mouth, trying to undo the deduction she just performed over Tom’s type of woman minutes earlier.

The man started churning out that wonderful geared laughter he’s known for, as he ran his watch around his wrist before pointing a finger at his roommate. “You’re the one who said that,” Tom exclaimed, licking his lips, performing a very smooth save. “Not me. That came from your own mouth, Guerrero.”

It looked as if a switch was just flipped on Vega’s head. To make matters worse, hiding the fact that she was just troubled by the realization she just brought about with her own deductions wasn’t providing to be that successful, especially when she looked down at her glass of liquid comfort and found out the Amarillo was long gone.

Scoffing at the way Tom propped his chin on his fist and looked at her in such an adorable manner, making her wonder if he probably had quite a lot to drink as well; she ignored him and got up her feet, trying to have her glass refilled by a worried-looking bartender who realized that this was probably her eighth glass.

She came back to find him still somewhat ogling her as she went back straight to drinking her own glass, wondering if she should stop drinking and water herself down. But what her best-friend said next almost caused Vega to choke on her beer.

“It’s now my turn, darling,” Tom said in that low hushed voice that made women squeal when he would use it to record those heart wrenching poetry. “Why did you kiss me in the Gazebo, Vega?”

He whispered it in such a way that only she could hear, causing her to swallow a huge amount of beer in such a hurry, almost having her pound her chest to dislodge the sudden rush of liquids down her esophagus. Getting a hold of herself, she blinks twice, thrice, before turning to the man who had dropped his fond enunciations and was looking at her with his lips parted, seemingly waiting for her to make a move on that chess board that had been left untouched since Cornwall’s New Year’s Eve affair… or even since she didn’t turn up at the Melbourne Airport almost two years ago.

Unable to answer, gaping at him in shock, Vega once more downs her pint till it was half-full, making it as an excuse to get up from her seat again and probably ask for her ninth round – when Tom suddenly reached out and gently affixed his gloved fingers on her wrist, whispering, “Come on Vey, You’ve got to answer this for me at least.”

She winced, comically squinting to look at him. “I answered yours,” he whispered with a soft smile, and those pools of blue in those eyes pleading with her to sit back down.

Defeated, Vega found herself flopping down on her seat, pursing her mouth as she heavily set the pint on the table. Pressing her tongue against the wall of her cheek, she fidgeted for a while, ignoring the way Tom held his breath, while waiting for her to say a word.

Pursing her lips as she glanced indirectly at how Tom’s fingers were still entwined around her wrist, the man noticed the discomfort and gently released them, before the girl tucked her lips in and opened her mouth. “Let’s just say,” she said softly, trying not to look into those twinkling cornflower-blue eyes. “That I was really worried about you.”

Tom found himself blinking once or twice at her, a feat of confusion.

“It was New Year!” she exclaimed, suddenly flailing her hands up, almost knocking the glass off the table. “You were all alone and lonely, and miserable, and crying –“ The woman found herself scratching the tip of her nose, before hiccupping. “I just couldn’t leave you for naught, you know! And with no one to kiss on New Year’s Eve…”

The man felt his heart jump as she moved to touch her lower lip randomly, realizing that Vega is slowly losing all her inhibitions under the influence of alcohol, and she was really at her most vulnerable. But suddenly realizing the gesture she was making, the woman smoothly reverted her expression into something holding her mouth, smoothing those small fingers against her mouth still cold with beer. It didn’t help at all with how he felt the butterflies in his stomach wanted to be set free, when she turned to him and blushed, suddenly uttering, “I was just looking out for you okay! It was just a friendly gesture!”

Tom bit his lower lip in an attempt to stop it from quivering and stared at his still half-full pint he hasn’t touched at all ever since Vega started babbling. “Oh Vega,” he felt himself sigh. “A long passionate kiss in the dark doesn’t seem like just a friendly gesture…”

The woman he was talking to didn’t have the courage to pick up her glass anymore as she looked away, pretending to look at a group of twenty-somethings who were seemingly celebrating someone’s birthday, as Tom clearly saw her blush. Laughing feebly at the way her roommate fondly tried to get her attention back to him, Vega found herself laughing feebly as she now was reduced to drinking just sips, as the current flood of feelings not doing any good to her insides.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself, Miss Guererro?” Tom asked, loving the way she was now rendered speechless.

“I’m sorry, okay!” were the first words that came out of her lips, as she looked down, reminding Tom of the extremely bashful and surprised Vega from the past, who felt like shying away the moment she first saw the private collection Tom has on one particular Mercenary Girl in his old iPad.

But all of a sudden, the bashfulness faded away, as she looked up at him with that new fire in her eyes that was clearly brought about the high content of alcohol in the woman, as her gestures became wide and flaily as she said, “But come on! Come on, _man_!” She literally tilted her head and rolled her eyes, as Tom tried so hard not to make a face or stifle a laugh with how absurd she seemed.

“Who could say no to those –“ _Hiccup!_ “Really juicy –“ _Hic!_ “And scrumptious –“ _Hic!_ “Pair of lips?!!”

Tom looked at her with wide eyes after she delivered that hiccup-riddled line, before sinking his head against his hand in attempt to hide the fact that despite the dimness of the lights in the pub, he wouldn’t be able to hide the way his cheeks turned redder than a man who probably had too much alcohol that night. Recovering from his own feat of giddiness, he raised his head to find Vega holding her mug through four fingers, other hand slipped under her other arm, seemingly at a loss – wondering what she just fucking said.

Realizing what she just _did say_ , Vega was reduced to something idiotic as she slammed her glass on the table and she placed her head on the wooden surface, repeatedly banging it in a soft manner against the table, muttering repeatedly how she was such an idiot… When she was about to do it for a fifth time, she suddenly wondered why her reddening forehead didn’t hit the surface when she felt someone gently touch her head and slipped a hand underneath her face… to gently cup her chin as he lifted it to face his.

Vega felt her eyes widen to find that her roommate had already leaned over the table. His tall and lean figure effortlessly reaching hers, as those blue eyes were suddenly filled with a determination that was even more than she could ever have during the past few months when she swore to come to his aid by shedding all traces of bashfulness and stubbornness that was part of her defense mechanism towards his affections. And what made her breath hitch was the way he had gently tipped her head upwards, with her hands still sprawled on the table, as he leaned closer, lips parted, seemingly implying to –

“Would it hurt,” Tom whispered, their presence completely obscured from the rest of the pub, considering that there were hidden behind a giant post and they were just behind a boarded up window. And with the way he looked at her, what made Vega’s insides scream was the fact that there was a certain joy in those deep blue eyes that made it seem that everything that happened between the first Cornwall trip and the Second Cornwall trip did not occur at all, and everything that mattered were those three days of bliss before he left for Los Angeles. “If I returned that gesture you gave me from New Year’s…”

The girl felt her entire body stiffen, realizing what he was implying to do and combining it with the fact that she was too drunk to retort and too tipsy to even wave this off. “…albeit a bit too late?”

It didn’t help at all how her jaw literally unhinged itself from her sockets, as she gaped at him, not even thinking of a way to probably brush his hand off her face, and try to repress the situation like what she’s used to doing whenever he was becoming too forward like this. What horrified Vega is the fact that she felt her entire body weaken, refusing to respond to the panic flashing in her brain, as she watched Tom lean forward with those hooded eyelids and those gently puckered lips as he moved towards her mouth in a slow manner that made time stand still –

 

 

_♫ ♪ ~ Please be my baby_

_Please be my baby_

_Neoman saenggakhamyeon michikesseo_

_Ni-ga neomuneomu kajko shipeoseo ~_ _♪_ _♫_

 

 

“I gotta get that,” Vega exclaimed, all that breath wooshing out of her lungs as she managed to wrangle her face out of Tom’s gentle, adoring grip as she picked up the vibrating iPhone with the broken screen on the table, as she made a run for the door.

The man found himself widening his eyes and snapping his fingers once she was gone, realizing how the woman not-so-discreetly escaped his grip, just when he was so close to planting a big wet one on those precious puckered lips, wondering how long it was since he was able to be this comfortable or forward with his favorite Mercenary Sister.

Despite the initial distress and an opportunity wasted, Tom found himself laughing quietly on the table where he was left behind… wondering what possessed him to actually do that. Suddenly, he was wondering if the Amarillo was _indeed that strong_ that it was influencing him to do feats beyond what his conscience and limits allow him… considering those _past fears_ that drew him away before…

He turned to watch her, through the big clear windows of the Almarion, watching the woman pace the not-so-crowded sidewalk as she held that coat around her shoulders, wearing a determined yet focused expression on her face… seemingly intent and listening to whomever she was talking to.

Tom found himself tilting his head, admiring the woman he refused to look at before – in fear that his feelings would return and manifest its strength. After what happened in that airport in South Australia, and everything else that happened in between, the man found himself swearing that he wouldn’t fall for the woman’s little quirks and whims anymore.

But as he watched her slowly change her stance, a wide grin spreading about that face, Tom began to see her in a whole different light: He watched a woman who was truly happy, completely blissful, far mature from the shy and bashful little girl who clumsily evaded all of his advances, and now has blossomed into a confident woman whom he can't ignore or detest anymore... Suddenly he realized that Vega wasn’t hiding, she was real. And this realness made her even more beautiful…

It was at that moment as Tom watched Vega cover her mouth in utter surprise as if she was given great news that would change her life forever when the man realized how deep he has fallen and there was no way out of this endless rabbit hole... He was _Alice_ , she was the _Rabbit_ , and his love for her was the _Wonderland_. He could either escape it, or have it change his life forever...

He was pondering on this newfound realization, as he glanced at her approaching figure with this blissful, dreamy look on his face, when he noticed how the joy on Vega's face simply was not parallel or equal to his, as it completely erased the awkwardness or misjudgments from their earlier discussions and affair, and she had this glow about her that somewhat made his own gentle heart swell with joy.

"Tom," she said, moving in small steps before retaking her seat, those dark chocolate eyes twinkling. She hesitated for a bit, ignoring that blissful look in his eyes, before smiling again, a silent decision made in her head. "I'm getting married."

He just couldn't believe his ears. Despite that voice sounding heavenly as it always does, there was something in her words that somewhat pulled him out of his black-hole and shook him to the core.

Watching her play with that blasted black ring that was labeled with nothing but desire and lust in his brain, he found himself feebly smiling candidly as she beamed up at him, like a daughter telling her rather fond father how her suitor has come to take her away. "But isn’t it – you’re really getting married, Vega sweetheart?" He asked as a-matter-of-factly. "That ring has been sitting on your finger for more than a year to prove it."

As much as he successfully attempted to hide the sarcasm in his voice, he knew it couldn't amount at all to the glee etched on Vega's face, as the woman gently covered her lips, hiding a smile that was bright enough to light a small town by the sea.

"I'm really getting married now, Tom," the joy in the way her voice shook was unmistakable. "He set a date," those eyes filled with more hope compared to whatever trickle of a fighting chance inside of his was insurmountable. "I'm finally getting married in April."

You wouldn’t see it, but for a split second – you could see the world crash and burn in Thomas’s eyes.

But what happened next came more of a relief than a surprise, considering how Tom is good at hiding his feelings when it comes to general encounters but completely wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to that one girl.

You could say that there was something sour brewing at the side of his mouth that for a moment Vega felt like asking him what was wrong. But to her surprise, Tom closed his parted lips and a soft gentle smile broke upon that weary face, the only thing he could do for a friend who was truly happy – and he would say that he didn’t want to stand in the way of her happiness.

However, she was not prepared at all when the thespian got on his feet and called out –

 

“ ** _MY BEST FRIEND – THIS BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IS GETTING MARRIED!!!_** ”

 

Never has Vega widened her eyes or dropped her jaw that fast.

“Tom –“

But by this time, the charming man who was known for making women trip over themselves whenever he just winks at them and turn interviewers into babbling messes when he offers them his blazer during a cold winter’s eve, had already caught the attention of the entire pub as patrons began to coo and cheer for a woman they don’t even know.

“ ** _SHE’S FINALLY GETTING MARRIED!_** ” Tom delivered it in such a breathtaking passion that you would understand why he’s a stage actor. All he had to do was literally stand on a stool and preach. “ ** _DRINKS AROUND THE HOUSE! AND IT’S ON ME!!!_** ”

Next thing she knew, she had to get out of her seat as she was harried onto a bigger table, with her best-friend and her being clapped on the back by various patrons, as the bartender himself brought her (and everyone) the finest mead that tasted as good as the Almarillo Tom got for her.

Amidst the well-wishes, the women who praised her for getting a good man and the drinking songs that went around the table that even Tom got himself involved with, Vega never felt truly happy about something that benefits her love and her life that much. To top it all off, it just meant so much to her that the entire world sang along to her happiness, as she looked around the bar with people toasting and cheering to her name, while she just bowed to them, held her own mead and smiled back, whispering her words of thanks.

However, along with the merriment, Vega realized one tiny thing – every man (and woman) would congratulate her, wish her luck… _and then end up tapping her best friend at the back_. As much as she wanted to somewhat clarify and point out the truth that Tom was just her friend – there was something in her that stopped her from uttering a word as she watched the man whom she called her brother beaming with every silent smile given by every patron that approached them. There was a kind of certain warmth, a specific comfort that emanated from that gentle grin, that made Vega just sit there, drinking the sweetest mead she has ever tasted.

And that’s when she heard it.

As Tom thanked the Bartender and discussed how he was going to take care of everyone’s treat, the forty-something man with the body of a proper English gentleman but seemed to have the power to even act as a bouncer on heavily populated bar nights, subtly glanced at her who was nodding and smiling at a few women who cheered her on, before turning towards the blonde Brit who smiled as if he won the lottery.

“You must be one lucky man,” the Bartender exclaimed, grinning profusely at the tall and lean thespian. “Congratulations, she’s a beauty.”

The man just emitted a loud chuckle, the very familiar _ehehehehe_ filling the air, as he held on to the equally tall Bartender who had to say that he was pleased that the blonde’s positive reaction to his greeting.

“Oh I wish I was, my friend,” Tom exclaimed once he caught his breath, a small bitter smile forming on his face. “I wish I was.”

The Bartender nodded at him with the understanding reflected in his brown eyes, as he quickly went back to work when the charming blonde patron suddenly raised his mug and said out loud, “More drinks for everyone!”

That moment, Vega could say that something in her sank like a weather-beaten ship at sea  as she looked at the pureness of the joy coming out of Tom… hiding away a very thin filter of true emotion that he doesn’t wish to show to anyone. And to make matters worse, her best-friend turned to look in her direction, upon realizing that she was watching him. Keeping up that festive mood, Tom turned to grin fondly at her, raising his glass before winking at her.

Despite the joy that filled her heart earlier, the delicious drink she was having, and a whole crowd of well-wishers for her married life… Vega couldn’t understand why her smile slowly melted away with no one noticing it.

 

 

 

***

 

 

“ _…and then I have to go check out that designer suggested by Jesz – What was her name again? Gionette… **Hic!** Gio… Gia… **Hic!**   Gionatta Deolino! Yeah! That woman!” _

_“Psh, her prices are too hiked up, fucking Italians. There’s gotta be a better choice… **Hic!** You’ve got decent tailored suits, my fine-suited friend. What can you suggest?_ ”

 

“I… I suggest you probably take a well-deserved sleep before you go on this quest.”

 

“ _Quite right, quite right… **Hic!** Quite right…” _

_“The invitations! I’ve got to tell everyone! My aunts, my uncles, those relatives back home – Mom & Dad! **Hic!** And my friends too!”_

_“Everyone! Especially those bastard bitches back in high school who said I can’t get a guy because I’m a little whore who won’t grow up –_ “

 

“Oh Vega sweetheart, you didn’t have to listen to them –“

 

“ _Oh but those fucking – **Hic!** Deranged bitches thought I’d be a child forever – **Hic!** And then those stupid bastards at Way Melbourne who said I’d never be a real Aussie – **Hic!** This’ll show them – This will definitely show them –_ “

 

 

Tom had to literally wince as he ducked Vega’s play punches, as he had one of her arm slung around his waist for support, as he held on to her while fidgeting with his own set of keys, trying to get the flat open.

Opening the door with a soft click, he found the living room bare and abandoned, despite the pile of clothes on the floor in front of Max’s room. But with the woman’s door closed and shut, Tom could only sigh in relief upon realizing how the coast is clear as he gently guided his drunk roommate in the dark, struggling to flick open the dim lights… hoping they wouldn’t wake the sleeping couple.

 

“—I wonder if Galey would allow me to invite that many people… _Hic!_ I want a grand wedding! I want everyone to come! I want you there!” she said with that sheepish intoxicated grin, causing Tom to hide a snicker as he gently had her sit down on the couch. “But the invitations –“ Vega exclaimed, suddenly worried as those excited chocolate eyes were suddenly clouded with troubles. “Someone’s got to do the invitations –“

 

She tilted her head that was angled in an off manner on the couch, trying to gander at her male roommate, who was busy filling two glasses with water from the tap. “Tom?” she mused in that small voice. “Won’t you help me with the invitations?”

Turning the faucet closed and setting the glasses on the table, he turned to smile at the woman whose head was bobbing up and down and hiccupping on the couch, clearly having too many Almarillo and mead than what she should have taken. Despite being extremely intoxicated, there was a hyper glow about Vega, and you would be right that it’s brought about by that call she received while she was at the pub.

“Of course darling,” he whispered his reply like a prayer, the wind knocking out the words from his lungs, considering that he was taken aback by how her smile shined in the dimness of the light, and how she still seemed to glow amidst that adorable little air of drunkenness she was currently going through. “Anything for you.”

Returning that smile that could literally brighten up the dark room with a candid little grin of her own, something she would probably make at her mother when she caught her stealing out of the cookie jar again, Vega found herself lying back carelessly on the couch, letting her mind wander about the preparations she would have to do for her Wedding Day.

“I really am serious about that dress,” Vega said randomly, sleepy eyes staring up at the ceiling as she completely ignored Tom who scrambled in the kitchen, making some tea, hoping it would work as a backup in case the water didn’t really have that much an effect on their hangover. “I fucking swear I’d be in hell trying to get a decent one – _Hic!_ – considering that Gale hates shopping with me…”

The man in the kitchen turned to look at her, a concerned look on his face, laced with a bit of contempt.

He hasn’t even met the man yet, and he swore how he wanted to stay positive about him. But from everything he has heard from Vega, watching the woman all alone on Christmas, passing her by one night after another waiting in her room for a certain call, even excusing herself during parties when her phone rings… Tom is trying hard to stay positive about the man whom he cannot judge till he has seen him in person. But suddenly seeing the melancholic tone about his best-friend as she lay on the couch, made him want to add another sugar cube to her cup of tea.

“Here’s the thing,” he exclaimed as he approached the small sprawled figure on the couch, carrying two cups of the heated drink in the same tray with the glasses of water. “How about we give Reba a visit one day? I’m quite sure she could design a nice ensemble for you?”

Vega sleepily raised her head to face her friend as he took his seat beside her, offering her the glass of water first. Hearing the name of the designer where she purchased the infamous blue dress, who also happened to be one of Thomas’s good friends, suddenly brought about a smile on the woman’s face as she sat up from her place. “Really? _Really?!_ ”

Tom just managed to nod gaily in her direction, pushing her gently on her shoulders as he subtly coerced her into propping her back on the couch to rest herself. “Of course darling,” he whispered. “One of these days. I’ll inform her in advance and we can set an appointment. But for now, please Vega, you need to r –“

What she said next caused him to go mute for a few moments, considering the fact that she managed to go against the force he was putting on her shoulders as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, causing the already tipsy man to turn even redder.

“You’re so nice…” she mused, burying her face against his shoulder, rubbing her nose against his black sweater. “You’re the best!”

Placing his own glass down, Tom found himself awkwardly slipping an arm around the girl’s small shoulders as he gently returned the hug…

As much as he thought that she was starting to calm down from all that alcohol-influenced hyperactivity, she suddenly retracted her head from his embrace and exclaimed, “You should be my Best Man!” Tom looked at her and left his jaw unhinged. “I wish you were my Best Man…” The range of emotions Vega was displaying that day could even rival the number of switching he could do in one scene. “Will you be my Best Man, Tom?”

The way she said it, with those slightly quivering lips that were just tempting to be kissed, left the man bashful and surprised, as he gaped at her incredulously. “Oh Vega, it’s a big honor, but don’t you think you should ask your fiancé first –“

“Oh, I hope Gale agrees though,” she tore those dark chocolate eyes from his, causing his heart to skip a beat. “Oh posh. He’ll agree! I’ll make him! He has no choice since Brother hates his guts and refuses to attend my wedding…”

By this time, Tom was still gaping at her… not because of the fact of how drunk she was, but how she literally spewed out all the information he always wanted to know… And clearly, she was spilling all the dark secrets about her engagement, how her family reacted about it, and how it was bothering her to the core…

“…I don’t get it why Brother hates him,” the woman exclaimed, biting her lip. Seeing the worried look on Tom’s face, including the way he adorably looked concerned for her with those parted lips, Vega found herself smiling sleepily at the man, looking up at his angled face.

“You know,” she said fondly as she straightened Tom’s collar. “Brother will definitely like you. I think you’d both get along. You’re both goofy, inspirational, a bunch of stupid pranksters, and I bet you both like the same bands –“ The way she blinked at him and placed her hands on his shoulders, to a point it mimicked the same night when _he_ got drunk and kissed her out of context made his mouth run dry. “He’ll probably ask you to be the Best Man in his stead…”

The way her eyes twinkled just made Tom realize that she wasn’t really happy and hyper as he expected; and she was starting to tear up, entering the other spectrum of her alcohol-influenced moodswing hyperdrive.

Taking a deep breath as he gently removed her hands from his shoulders, he gently placed them on her lap and whispered, “Vey darling, you’re really _really_ intoxicated. How about you finish up that glass of water and go to sl –“

 _Sob_.

“Vey –“

The man furrowed his eyebrows and realized that he couldn’t let go of the way he held her hands… _since she has started to grip them_. Goosebumps traveling all over his body, Tom found himself fidgeting in his seat as he fixed the way he sat down, trying to find a comfortable spot in which he could possibly try and pull Vega out of her emotional rollercoaster. Hell, even at the back of his head, he took a mental note not to make her drink a glass of Amarillo again. Or have her drink Mead right after.

It didn’t help at all when he tried to unhook her grip on his hands, the woman suddenly clung to his arm, drawing him close, causing his breath to hitch even more.

“What’s wrong, Vey?”

“I’m scared.”

A gentle smile formed on his face, realizing how when she’s drunk, Vega starts trusting him again. But only in this intoxicated state would she dare become physically connected with him, making him realize that she had too much Talisker that night when she kissed him at Cornwall…

“I’m scared, Tom!” she reiterated, tears now flowing down her face as she wobbled on her spot, trying to sit up, pulling on his arm. “I’m scared of – What if he doesn’t like it? What if he hates everything? Again? What if he suddenly calls it off _again?_ ”

Unable to reply, he just listened, despite the shock forming on his face.

“This is the third time he set a date,” Vega sobbed, a hand rubbing across her cheek to wipe away her tears, as a look of bitterness spread over Tom’s face, feeling remorse and pity for his best-friend. “The third time!” She exclaimed, flinging a hand down, performing a gesture for gravity of her words. “Can you believe it?! _A third time!_ What if he cancels again? What if he says no – What if –“

The woman started to shake.

For a moment, it felt like the first Cornwall trip all over again. Tom looked at her as if he saw the broken little girl who was emotionally compromised, physically broken, eyes red, and shivering in the cold of the rainy day. But this time Vega comes to him crying, shaking, with what seems to be glued-up pieces of a broken heart encased in a spirited young woman who hides between success, superficial joy, and tons of comedic sarcasm. This was the true Vega… and this time she couldn’t hide it from him.

She only stopped shaking when a large hand cupped her face, and another set of fingers threading through her hair, trying to comfort her from her misery that she concocted on her own. Even if it was supposed to be a day of celebration – a matchmaking gone well, and her supposed official wedding announcement, Tom felt that seeing her broken like this is no reason for a joyous occasion at all.

“Vey, Vey, Vega –“ he whispered as he pulled her close, to which the woman just yielded, allowing him to envelop her in a gentle embrace. “This is mostly the alcohol talking. Leave your cares for tomorrow. Rest.”

However, the woman continued to shake in his arms. Tilting his head to get a better look towards her, Tom summoned the courage to touch her cheeks and wipe those tears away, whispering words of comfort in her hair – something he swore he wouldn’t do anymore… but he couldn’t help doing at such a time like this.

“I’m scared,” Vega repeated, this time in a shaky voice that reeked of helplessness.

“Hush,” Tom whispered back, those blue eyes locking with hers… and it didn’t help at all that she didn’t look away, but she looked straight on, as if she was looking for something.

As much as it was too early to identify the onset of heartbreak, considering that it was all alcohol-induced and a case of panic, Tom allowed himself to comfort the woman, forgetting about all the limits he placed upon himself, the promises he made so he wouldn’t be hurt again, and the resolve never to compete for her heart again. Ever since that day she changed his bandages, that day she saved his life, Tom knew he would fight even if there was no chance. And what better way to start by easing away her pain…

 “There is no need to be scared…”

But as he held her in his arms, he realized that gone was the woman who broke his heart… Gone was the woman who couldn’t make up her mind, and gone was the friend who dropped such hurtful words that made him rethink their friendship. Vega is as broken as he is, and there she was… helpless and drunk in his arms, no better than anyone else.

“I must be so pathetic,” she whispered against him, curled up on the couch, sobbing, her tears streaming down uncontrollably now. “So helpless, so _hopeless…_ ”

“Oh darling hush,” Tom interrupted her as he held her close. “Stop worrying. You are such a lucky woman, don’t you know?”

As much as he hated saying this, it was the only way to bring her spirits up again.

“You are in love, and there is a great man who loves you. You have the future set out for you, so there is no need for you to be afraid.” He turned to look at her, those dark brown eyes still blank, seemingly staring into the distance.

Turning her head to look at him, Tom continued. “Vega, you’ll be fine. You’ll get married to the man of your dreams –“ he had to stop himself from wincing as he said it, knowing how much he subtly disagreed with it. “—and you’ll be the happiest woman the world will ever see.” However, that image of her smiling in her wedding dress somehow comforted his anxious heart… “You’ll be fine,” he reiterated. “Everything will be fine –“

 _Sob_.

That’s when the biggest most violent sob escaped the woman, as she swiped away his hand cupping her chin, somewhat pushing him away. He looked at her in surprise, wondering what he said wrong. But he said nothing, he just sat beside her, ready to provide the warmth and comfort she craves… as he promised to himself a long time ago.

“It won’t be okay!” she first exclaimed, bursting with a bit of anger… only to retract upon seeing the surprised look on Tom’s face. “No it won’t be alright…”

“Vega…”

The more he tried to speak, the more she shut her eyes and sobbed, the painful kind of crying that shook one to the core. Closing his mouth, Tom resolved to just holding her, offering a listening ear.

“That’s not the problem, Tom,” she whimpered, tears coming down in steady streams now. “That’s not the problem…”

Releasing the way his arm was wrapped around her shoulder, he moved closer and tucked away a lock that fell on her forehead, trying to get a better look of her face, letting her know that someone was listening… _he was listening_.

“What’s the problem then?” he asked gently, trying to have her speak to him amidst the way she sobbed.

Vega let out a sigh.

The way her face was distorted, the way she shut her eyes closed, and the way her lids swelled up with the amount of tears running down her face wasn’t enough to explain the pain she was going through. She knew that if she opened her eyes, she’d see him… and for some reason, her fears, her cares – _everything_ would hurt even more. And as much as she can blame the alcohol, there was no one to blame but herself.

“Vega,” Tom leaned closer now, cupping her face in both hands. “What’s wrong? You can tell me…”

Taking a deep breath, she opened those beady brown eyes drowning in tears and looked up at the man whom she considered her best-friend and dropped a line that made Tom reconsider everything – _everything he ever believed in_.

 

“ ** _I’m still in love with you, Tom_ …**”

 

She chocked back a sob, as the man’s eyes widened.

 

“ ** _That’s the problem_**.”

A wild shiver shook the man from head to toe, as he suddenly felt so small and yet so big at the same time, holding the woman in his arms, her eyes staring up into his. His hands shook as he held her, finding nothing but truth in Vega’s eyes. No more lies, no more deflection, no more evasion, just alcohol and the truth… and it finally came out. Almost a year of sexual tension, and there they were on the same page… _all along_.

Wanting her to know that he felt the same way, he held her close, her face still cradled in his hands, as his threat of “returning the gesture at Cornwall at New Year’s Eve” was about to come to fruition, wanting that shared, mutual, consented kiss in forever to finally come between them –

 

When Vega’s cheeks suddenly puffed up, eyes bulging a bit as she emitted a gagging sound, threatening to throw up.

 

“Oh dear,” Tom quickly exclaimed as he placed his arms around her, hauling her up from the couch and pulling her up from that state they put themselves in. “Sweetie, quick –“

Harrying her to the kitchen, a few steps from the living room with the girl losing control and tripping on both feet; they managed to reach the sink before Vega could blow up. As half of her dinner went down the drain, having to gag a bit before she could stop literally dehydrating herself, Tom being the gentleman that he is, stood by her side and threaded back the hair that was falling into her face so she wouldn’t end up soiling it.

He felt her weaken in her arms once she’s done… as she can barely lift her hands to turn the tap on and wash off her face. Grabbing a paper towel and assisting her with the task, with her arms shaking during the entire ordeal, Tom helped the poor woman tidy up before carrying her in his arms after she has slumped completely on the kitchen quarters, suddenly taking her in his arms as he carried her over to the couch.

Getting up for a bit, he went to his room to grab a blanket, only to come and find Vega’s head tilted… almost asleep, but still wearing a drunk yet melancholy expression on her face as she started sobbing once more.

Taking her once more in his arms as the girl who was close to passing out just mindlessly placed her head on his chest, he gathered her close to him and covered the two of them with the blanket he retrieved from his room as he buried his face in the woman's hair, repeating the one mantra that would hopefully halt the tears flowing from his own eyes and set his own heart at peace after hearing what she suddenly had to say that night…

“It’ll be okay,” he chanted softly against her hair, whispering it repeatedly like a mantra, hoping it would become real. “Everything will be okay…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song featured in this chapter is the Wondergirls’ “ _Be My Baby _” – which happens to be Vega’s ringtone. Also, I was endlessly listening to SNSD’s (Girls Generation) Trio – TaeTiSeo (Taeyon, Tiffany, and Seohyun) singing “ _Goodbye, Hello_ ”… which happens to be one of the main themes of this fic. Especially… for Vega.__


	45. The Bride and her Best Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vega wakes up to a horrible headache, but to a glorious breakfast and proof of their triumph the night before. But will she remember what came out of her mouth last night?

 

_Don’t you just like that, baby…_

_Ow, you perv! Bite me there again._

_Heehee! Ohhh…_

 

 

Vega was hearing little giggles and soft growls even before she could get around to herself, wondering why it feels like her head was being hammered even before she could open her eyes. Her vision cleared only to have this white searing pain go from her eyes to the back of her head, causing her to wince the moment she tried sitting up in the blanket pile she was sleeping in…

She sat up, stretched her arms out as the blanket covering her fell from her shoulders, but still the throb in her head was too much, causing her to let out a small moan of pain as she used both hands to clutch at her head. Half of her was wondering if she was just imagining those soft whispers in her head, those blissful conversations, the sweet nothings, and the endless giggling…

She was in the middle of attempting to tear at her hair in hopes that it will help pacify the pain inside her head… when she suddenly pauses, a discombobulated look on her face as she picked out a finely made braid from the left side of her head…

 _This is peculiar_ , she thought as she turned her head to look at it, the braid tangled neatly around her fingers, before she released it, hanging down the side of her head. _I remember another instance when my hair ended up braided with someone doing it in my sleep –_

“Okay you two lovebirds,” that deep baritone coming from the kitchen snapped her out of her stupor. “Please don’t let me shove you back into the lady’s room –“

“You’re just jealous, Thomas,” came Fred’s luxurious deep voice, making Vega wonder since when did it sound so seductive, till the air was filled with little giggles of a woman she swore she didn’t know. Half of her head kind of betrayed her by telling her that _fuck it – their plan just failed and Fred ran off with someone else –_ But when she peeked from the couch, she realized that it was just Max… and everything just went as planned.

And the girl couldn’t help but avert her eyes somewhere else since she realized that Max was only dressed in her nightgown and was sitting on the lap of her new boyfriend… who happened to be displaying those huge pecs that sort of challenged Chris Hemsworth’s, as he happened to be topless.

“Such preposterous nonsense,” came Tom’s voice, as the man who was still dressed in last night’s sweater, standing over the stove, cooking breakfast… _as usual_. “I was clearly worried that you may wake up Vega –“

“Oh hush, Thomas,” Maxi spoke up, a dreamy tone to her voice. “We all know how Vega can sleep through a snow storm, or a screen door banging through a hurricane –“

“Isn’t that what we were doing last night?” Fred whispered with a growl as he planted a wet kiss on Max’s bare shoulder, causing the woman to let out a seductive giggle once more. Tom on the other hand, just rolled his eyes without anyone seeing it as he transferred some hash browns on an empty plate, wondering how drunk he was the night before that he didn’t hear all of the racket Fred was referring to. “Don’t you worry about your precious _sister_ –“

“Actually, I’m awake,” she exclaimed, wobbling on both knees as she stood up on her bare feet, as the blanket fell on the floor.

Much to her surprise, Max greeted her with a cheery voice, much better than the temperament she was showing her the night before – considering that the woman threw her bag at her head. Fred on the other hand couldn’t stop looking at his woman, those green eyes filled with so much love like it never was before, as he watched her strike a fist in the air, happy that her female roommate was already awake. But little do they know how Vega felt so utterly uncomfortable just looking at them being all touchy-feely, and feeding each other the sausages from the typical breakfast Tom would make.

Speaking about Tom, she found the man turning around his heels to smile up at her the moment she walked into the kitchen. But as she randomly played with her hair, she suddenly stopped in her tracks to wonder why… for a lazy morning, with two of their friends being promiscuously sweet on the dining table in front of them, none of these seemed to bother her male roommate the moment she turned up, and in fact was wearing a grin on his face that was far too… _bright_.

“Vega sweetie!” he exclaimed quickly as he placed the plate he was holding down, rubbed his hands on his pants and quickly approached her. Ignoring the way his smile was working like a lightbulb, she just shot him a sheepish morning grin, hoping it would hide away the uncertainty on her face. “How are you, darling? Please, don’t get up –“

She suddenly found herself being seated down a chair fair away from the sickeningly sweet couple who was eating strawberries from their French toasts off each other’s mouths, as a full breakfast was placed in front of her, as well as a glass of water and a pack of antacid.

“Are you feeling better?” Tom quickly asked her, his eyes lingering over the way she unconsciously ran her fingers along the several strands of her braided hair, liking the way it was made.

Tilting her head, wondering if her brain is just heavy or she’s slept far into the morning to a point that she’s dizzy because of the lack of food, Vega just ended up clutching her forehead, releasing the way she tangled and twirled her fingers in her hair and along that specific braid… to which Tom gently ran his own fingers down once she has placed both of her hands on her face, demonstrating how her hangover migraine claimed her sanity. “Ow…”

“Tut tut,” the man exclaimed, ignoring the way Max laughed as Fred tickled her, clutching her thighs as she grinded herself on his lap. Pushing the glass of water closer to her and opening a pack of antacid and dissolving it in another glass of water, the man grinned at her and whispered, “Seems like my little Vegastar needs more rest. How about you finish breakfast and then getting more sleep?”

“Seems like a fair trade,” she exclaimed, trying so hard to raise an eyebrow considering how Tom was as equally cheesy and sweet as the man sitting in front of her, sucking her female roommate’s collarbone.

“That’s my girl,” Tom said with that twinkle in his eye, as if he was trying hard to pry something out of her as he gently ruffled her hair once more, subtly running his hands on that short braid once more before getting up from his seat to return to the stove.

Wondering why he was suddenly fond of the braid that mushroomed out of her hair all of a sudden… Vega found herself pursing her lips when she remembered who _else_ could have done it… When she suddenly remembered that one morning she woke up at Langham, due for a Theatre Date at the evening, only to have _someone_ unceremoniously return a spare Hotel Key by barging into her hotel, setting her TV to an automatic setting to turn on when a _certain live morning show was interviewing him_ … and also braided her hair during the entire ordeal.

Trying not to appear as if she discovered Tom’s secret, Vega found herself staring randomly at that good-smelling breakfast with pancakes, egg, three pieces of sausage and her favorite kind of hashbrowns sitting on her plate; Vega suddenly sighed wondering how she’s going to spend a few more minutes on the treadmill just to burn this off. But she ended up just taking a spoonful in the long run, considering that Tom only makes his English Breakfasts at least twice a week, and the rest of the week has her fed with muffins, fruit-lathered French toasts, and her own choice of instant vegetable salad sandwiches from the deli across her office.

She was about to drink from her antacid solution, when she found the couple sitting in front of her halting in the middle of their play fighting and gentle whispering, turning to smile in her direction. As much as it was Adams-Family Bizarre, Vega found herself furrowing her eyebrows at Fred and Max, saying, “Please tell me I have nothing on my face, with the way you’re both staring at me like that –“

“Oh sissy,” Max said as she effortlessly climbed off the Scottish hunk’s firm lap, sitting on the spare chair beside Vega, letting that long dressing gown made of silk flow on the edges of the wooden seat, making Vega silently wince realizing how the woman’s perky nipples were clearly poking against the fabric. The thoughts of _why_ it was being so prominent wants Vega to go back to the pub and drink a whole liter of Mead – considering that it clearly erased her memories from the previous night.

“Fred and I just want to tell you how fond we are of you –“

“And Tom here too,” Fred added, gesturing to the man still busying himself in front of the stove, turning to smile for a while, before subtly eyeing Vega and going back to his new batch of hashed eggs. “If it weren’t for the two of you, Maxi here wouldn’t have snapped out of her delusional wits –“

Max’s hand suddenly flew from the surface of the table, hitting Fred straight on that hulk of muscle on his arm. “Ow! Woman –“ retracting his reddening arm as the Latina fiercely glared back at him, Fred shot the woman a hurt look, using his own brand of puppy eyes at her. In the middle of trying to shove a piece of hashbrown up her mouth, Vega had to pause in fear that their hard-earned project is about to make a turn for a worse before their very eyes.

Tom even had to stop and lower the fire underneath his pan too, worried by the sudden commotion. But the moment Fred got up from his seat, growling “Come here” underneath his breath as Max got up to her feet, squealing… The big burly Scot swept the woman off her feet, planting rough and hurried kisses on her cheeks and neck, carrying her in his arms in bridal fashion, before dragging her into her room… winking at his two other friends before slamming the door closed.

“What were they trying to say to me again?” Vega asked, flabbergasted, wondering whether the headache she was having was still caused by her hangover.

Her male roommate took his place beside her, with his own plate of French toast, eggs, and sausages, grinning to himself while subtly stealing glances of his confused best friend.

“They said thank you,” said the man who was all smiles despite the fact that he was also silently nursing his own hangover, having drank all the medicines necessary to get him out of it before she could wake up. And not to mention the fact that somehow, in this area of alcoholism, Tom had a higher tolerance… compared to the whiskey and gin they were drinking the last time, two years ago, in his flat.

“Never seen Max that grateful before,” Tom exclaimed, before putting in a few of his home cooked meal in his mouth.

“Never seen Fred that mushy,” she said, taking a mouthful of the antacid, only to choke on it a bit, causing her to pound on her chest once more, the same expression she did the night before when Tom asked her why she did _that_ thing in the Gazebo. As much as she quickly recovered from that overflow of liquids in her esophagus, she was most likely to repeat it again upon Tom’s quick reaction to patting her on the back to relieve her from the pain.

Realizing that she’s settled down, Tom shyly removed his hand from the small of her back, as Vega subtly said thanks with a small smile on her lips, still at a loss why her friend was _extra_ sweet with that extra sugar and syrup on top that morning.

“Never drinking Almarillo again,” she winced, holding her head.

The man subtly looked at her, a worried look on his face. “I remember you saying something opposite to that last night…” There was something in the tone of his voice that half-begged, and half-forced her to remember what happened, as he looked into her eyes, hoping to pry out those words that escaped her lips before she fell asleep in his arms…

Wincing as the onset of the migraine took over her head again, she turned towards Tom with an apologetic look on her face. “Oh my God, what have I done –“ Releasing her hands from her head, she turned to cover her mouth as the man felt his heart leap from its ribcages, hoping that maybe Vega would remember her precious words from the night before…

“Last night was such a big blur – I must have made such a big mess last night, haven’t I?” she exclaimed, the look of worry spreading on her face. The sincerity of her expression and the way she looked at him as if she embarrassed him somewhat made his joy sink into disappointment…

“Oh Lord,” she exclaimed, seeing the despair on Tom’s face that she completely misinterpreted as disapproval. “I must have made such a big mess of myself…”

As much as he was so familiar with that sinking, sickening feeling and having it whenever _she’s_ around, Tom felt like scoffing at himself for even having that kind of hope after hearing Vega whisper those precious words he waited in _forever_ to hear, even if it was ten… twelve years late. But he kept his calm and did what he was good at – smile and pretend to be okay, as he turned to her and asked –

“Are you sure you don’t remember anything from last night?”

He looked into those dark chocolate eyes, still a bit swollen having fallen asleep in the middle of her sobbing, and it was only then that Tom realized how Vega’s eyes shrunk and made her even look cuter as the folds around her lids disappeared… even if the process was a painful one, physically and emotionally.

“Not even anything you said?”

But as he dared to look at her, he was surprised not to find one ounce of awkwardness that he would usually see in Vega whenever she was cornered or forced to respond to any of his advances… and even his deepest inquiries. Sure the woman last night acted fidgety and nervous in an adorable manner when he asked her why she kissed him at Cornwall, but still the truth poured out of her in one full stroke – and still this is the alcohol talking.

As he looked at her, there was a true sense of remorse and regret in Vega’s eyes as she looked away from him, trying so hard to remember what occurred last night – there was no trace of relief in her face for having forgotten it, or the fear that she may have divulged some very important information (which she did)… But all he saw was the remorse that _she may have missed on something very important_ and she can’t remember it.

“I’m sorry…” the regret was imminent in her voice now. “I really don’t.”

Tom nodded, realizing that her _secret_ will stay hidden with him. Remembering the joy on her face when she announced that her fiancé had already set the date, and the sorrow on her face that she considered her love for him as a problem standing in her way… Tom suddenly had a resolve not to talk about it. Unless his own heart won’t allow him… In an attempt to silence himself, he just nodded again and took in a spoonful of toast and eggs.

But Vega, wasn’t satisfied with just that.

“Tom,” she exclaimed as she touched his arm, unable to eat even further and completely ignoring the throb at the back of her head, missing words all mattering to her right now. “What did I say?”

Taking a sip of his own cup of tea laced with a bit of medicine that would work on curing his own hangover; he turned to smile at the woman, trying to keep himself together even if he knew that somewhere… somehow… his own true feelings would seep out of his expressions…

“You said,” he started, before looking away. “You wanted to get married…”

Vega somehow found herself smiling as she leaned back on her chair and looked in the distance, towards the window as well… completely missing out on the bitter glint in Tom’s blue eyes as she looked away. Although he failed in hiding it, the expression lasted for only a moment as he picked up his cup of tea to take a sip once more, trying to compose himself.

“Yeah,” Vega found herself sighing. “I do.”

 

 

 

***

 

Tom could barely even talk about what happened the night before, considering the way Vega almost fell down on her way to her room to get more sleep. Following her in and tucking her into bed, he felt something warm and fuzzy inside him to find the braid still affixed on her hair, trying to ignore the fact that she still smelled of booze, hashbrowns and a bit of vomit.

Returning to the living room to fix the mess caused by breakfast, he literally had to ignore the sounds coming out of Max’s room… making his hair stand on an end, realizing how he can identify the woman’s whimpering, wondering off topic if she is actually submissive in bed despite her violent reactions… Suddenly hearing Fred’s grunting caused Tom to shake his head and laugh to himself as he did the dishes, making him wonder how his favorite Mercenary Sister can actually sleep through all that racket…

Suddenly Tom felt like wincing, remembering the chaos he put Vega through with his own sexual activities almost a long time ago… _No wonder she can sleep through a racket_ , he thought to himself as he sat down on the couch, after picking up _that_ iPad of his that he doesn’t take out a lot from his room, planning to sit down and skim through some emails from the agency and project handlers who provided proposals to him through the past few months he remained idle as he was healing.

Running his fingers against the scars on his wrist that were slowly disappearing with his regular appointments at the clinic for the “laser remedy”, as much as he loved those black fingerless gloves, Tom could use a day when he wouldn’t wear them. _Hopefully I don’t have to wear them on Vega’s wedding…_ Upon forming that thought, he felt like frowning again.

 

_Ting!_

 

His thoughts were interrupted by a solitary doorbell sound that rang in the silence of the living room, only to look at the coffee table and finding his eyes settling at a lighted iPhone.

He was about to pick it up out of curiosity, only to find himself frowning upon realizing that it belonged to Vega… and it was that horribly dilapidated, abused iPhone with the huge broken touch screen that glared up at him like he had something to do about it.

If only Tom knew.

Shaking that nagging feeling away, Tom found himself just staring at the device as he turned it around in his big hands… wondering why he found himself hating that huge giant crack so much. Not even bothering to deal with the girl’s passcode, he pocketed it without thinking twice… as he took a blue post it note, scribbling on it a quick message before placing it on the fridge and walking out of the door, a subtle grin on his face.

 

 

It was almost four in the afternoon when you heard some noise in Vega’s room, as if something was toppling over, closets being opened, and things being thrown around.

Tom had arrived probably an hour and a half earlier, and was sitting in front of the entertainment after having watched Max leave the flat with Fred, the two contemplating on having an actual date. Knowing the two won’t be home tonight, the thespian found himself looking over recipes on the internet, his Mac on his lap, contemplating about creating a decent dinner for him and the roommate left in the apartment.

But the moment he started hearing noises from Vega’s room, from the Skype sound, little giggling, chattering, and then falling objects – he knew the woman was awake. Not wanting to bother her, Tom just continued busying himself about in the living room, answering texts and emails as he pleases, pausing to watch a movie or so.

Until, Vega’s door burst open and the woman marched out, having changed out of last night’s blue dress and leggings, wearing those thick specs, an old shirt and shorts, looking clearly disheveled and worried. You can clearly see her busy looking iPad with Skype turned on under one arm, as she scoured the living room like a hungry panther. Definitely different from the drunken mess she was the night before and that morning, considering her recovery during her six hour nap.

“Have you seen my phone?!”

Tom blinked at her and he looks around the couch, getting up on his feet. “I swear I saw it here earlier…”

Dumping her iPad on the empty couch, she started scouring around the table, picking up some of the mess Max left behind, someone’s coat left on one chair, peeking anywhere and trying hard not to touch Tom’s documents as she looked for her missing iPhone. Tom on the other hand picked up the pillows where she (and he) slept on the night before, looking for her missing gadget.

Just as Vega was losing hope, scratching her head with her glasses askew on her face, she turned to her roommate, whining. “I fucking swear I left it on the table earlier,” she reasoned out, standing in place, as Tom rummaged behind her on the couch, seemingly looking _at the same place repeatedly as if he wasn’t even trying_. “It’s an old iPhone, probably last year’s model, with that ghastly crack on the –“

Subtly pulling something out of his pocket, the tall man turned around, his dark blue dressing gown whirling around him, he presented to her an iPhone and said, “Is this what you were talking about, sweetie?”

Vega dropped her jaw and made a face as she stared at it – it was the same one, with the Star Wars case and the dark gold backing… _but it had no horrible gash on the touch screen._

“Huh?” she exclaimed, refusing to take it from Tom’s outstretched hand. “But mine has a large gash –“

“I swear this is yours!” He said with that bright smile. “Enter your pincode and check the contents –“

The woman had to take it from the man’s hands as she surveyed it as she removed the Star Wars Episode VI casing, checking the unit, turning it around her hands. She tapped the main button on the bottom of the unit, and saw the passcode screen come up, as she entered the number 5287… You would see her eyes widen, her face glow, despite the clear look of confusion on her face as she skimmed through the information, the apps, the content, and the messages… _only to realize that everything was just there except for the giant crack on the screen_.

“Tom,” she called out at the man who grinning brightly in his corner, swaying on his toes as if he brought his mother the first donkey he ever drew in elementary school, even if it looked like a trainwreck. “This isn’t my phone –“

Opening his mouth, looking a bit offended, the man exclaimed, “But haven’t you checked the contents? It’s really your phone –“

Tilting it in her small hand and glazing her fingers over the surface, free from its plastic casing, Vega found herself biting her lip as she looks back up at the man and says – “This really can’t be the phone I was looking for, since it’s a brand new model.”

Attempting to retort, the man just dropped his eyes on to the floor and flexed his fingers, trying so hard to hide that smile that spread over his lips… only to fail greatly.

“Did you buy me a new phone, Thain?”

He looked up to find her peering up at him curiously, mixed with a bit of concern in those dark brown eyes. Tom opened his mouth and looked at her, swearing that his brain’s gears and functions enabled him to say “Yes”, but he was quite sure he just stood there, slack-jawed and speechless as he looked down at her tilting her head and looking him straight in the eye…

“Oh my God, you did –“

Her eyes widened as she backed away, completely surprised.

“If you don’t want it –“ he exclaimed with a feigned sad tone in his voice, snatching the phone out of her hands, prompting him to _do something_ , unless he want to be caught blushing in her face like a school boy once more. “I can have it returned to the Apple Store –“

Tagging after him, the woman turned to pull at his dressing gown, causing him to spin on his heel to face her – the coveted phone still in his hands. What surprised him are those big puppy dog eyes that looked up at him, rivaling his own, making him realize that maybe Vega could absolutely beat him in this since it definitely had an effect on him.

“No,” the small voice came out from the woman as she looked down, still tugging at his dressing gown, looking like a little child trying to stop her mother from throwing out her beloved teddy bear. “Don’t return it. I like it.”

Blinking at her words and then smiling gently as he handed her the phone, the girl refused to look up at him as she took the declared gift in her hands and turned it around once more, inspecting the brand new model… somewhat disbelieving that he was able to transfer all of her information and contacts in a span of a few hours…

As he backed away and admired the way she tried to hold her emotions in, Tom just literally gasped when Vega moved so quickly as she took him in a hug, almost crushing his waist with the way she wrapped those small arms around him. Trying so hard not to shiver in complete excitement, the man looked away, his face reddening, whispering softly, “Oy Vey… That’s too tight.”

Her face completely buried in the area where his abdomen met his chest, Vega forever regretted remembering how Tom smelled of peppermint. “Thank you,” she said in a muffled manner against his shirt, shoving away the question in her head of what possessed her to glomp him in such an affectionate manner that would make her twenty-five year old version that was just kissed by the same man scream in horror. “But you shouldn’t have…”

The man wondered why he was busy straining his hands when he could hold her… Biting his lips, he placed a hand on her head and another on her back, trying to remember how good it felt waking up that morning with Vega asleep on his chest… It was a much better memory than their first Cornwall affair…

“But darling, I wanted to…”

Retracting her face from his person, she felt like wiping her face, trying not to think about the man’s smell sticking to her for the next hour… and how it made her shiver all over… But then she remembered that she still has to take a bath herself…

“You’re the best you know?” Vega said, eyes shrinking, holding her phone as she backed away from the man whose arms were still outstretched, seemingly asking for another embrace. “You’re the best, Tom.”

“Anything for my dear sister,” he said, gesturing and bowing, every word of it sincerely said, although those longing eyes seemed to say something else.

Turning around awkwardly, about to go into her room, seemingly cradling that precious new phone in her hands, having its painful memory of that one night that went down in history as the worst night of her life – Vega found herself turning around to face the man again, who parted his lips as he waited for her to part hers.

“Speaking of being the best,” Vega exclaimed, wincing… “I have a favor to ask of you Tom…”

For a moment, he felt like his heart skipped a beat.

Whether she was about to ask him to forgive her for saying those words last night as a favor, or maybe to apologize for her behavior of hiding her true feelings for him all these years, Tom had to hold his breath in and wait for her to formulate the words she had to say –

“Will you be my best man?”

 _“Will you marry me?_ ”

He had to blink and throw that other question out of his mind, considering that it’s not going out of _her mouth_ , and the last time it came out of _his mouth_ – things just turned drastic. Though he could say that line he told the bartender the night before, reiterating how he wished it was so. _Oh, how I wish it was so._

Wincing, wondering if she shut the man’s systems down or her proposal wasn’t a good idea for it, Vega found herself tiptoeing around her question. “Tom?” she inquired worriedly. “I –“

“You,” he said, running his hands on his mouth, pinching his nose a bit, trying to find his footing on the discussion. “You asked me that last night.”

Vega’s eyes widened.

 _How fucking drunk was I?_ She asked herself as she strained to remember what else happened the night before. As much as she tried to wrack her brain of what could have transpired the night before, she couldn’t remember anything past her 4 th glass of mead, and her thoughts on that matter – the night she shared with her bestfriend; was quickly forgotten at the frantic sounds of Skype on her iPad and eventually the ordeal considering her missing phone. _What else happened last night that I don’t know about –_

“I did?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “What did you say?”

Trying to close the distance between them with the coffeetable standing in the way, Tom let out a sigh and said, “I said yes.”

Vega didn’t know what possessed her again to literally climb the coffee table and jump on the other side to smother Tom in hugs once more, both of them falling on the larger couch. Tom swore he couldn’t stop trembling now, and he doesn’t know what to do with the woman whom he couldn’t stop staring at, burying her face in his chest.

“Dear, now now, let’s not get excited –“

Quickly letting him go, making him emit a sigh of dismay he cannot hide even if he tried, Vega sat up next to him and exclaimed. “You will not regret this! You’ll make the best Best Man ever! I’ll make sure you and Gale get along…”

She was on her feet, still clutching her new phone as Tom swore that he was thankful she was looking somewhere else in the middle of reciting her thoughts out loud or else she would have seen the way his lips curved downwards. But he had to put on a sarcastic smile the moment she turned around, that grin on her often pouty lips enough to brighten up his days.

“As long as you don’t make me wear a dress,” he said-as-a-matter-of-factly, wagging a finger in her direction. “Or else, I will be the most beautiful bridesmaid and all of the other women will hate me…”

For him, the face Vega made at him before slamming his face with a pillow; was one of the most precious things he has seen in his thirty-three years.

“Oh heck no,” she said in between giggles as she stood up, still grinning at him, looking at the man with much pride she could handle. “You wouldn’t dare –“

Tom just smiled devilishly at her.

Unable to deny how much she loved the way he made her laugh, she found herself kneeling on the spot on the couch beside him, as she grabbed him by the shoulder and ruffled those gingery-blonde curls hard, wishing she destroyed his ‘do.

“Don’t make me revoke that title –“ she exclaimed, pointing at him.

Gently smiling at her as he looked her in the eye, hoping he gets something through her thick skull than just his sincerity, Tom says, “I won’t give you reason to.”

Smiling, Vega nods and goes back into her room, muttering something about preparing for the evening, but her roommate swore he developed selective hearing after seeing that way she sincerely smiled at him – something she hasn’t done for a very very long time

 

 

 

***

 

 

It was 630 when Vega emerged in her room, probably half an hour after her long bath.

Tom had to look up from his own iPad, still contemplating dinner and going through his grocery list if he had bought everything he needed a few days ago for that little dinner he was planning; when he saw the woman wearing her best makeup, had her hair straightened with an iron curler, and was wearing her finest clothes that was composed of a slender black dress that emphasized her shoulders with its high-necked collar.

“Wow,” he found his words slipping out of his mouth even before he thought about it, as he watched her pull a coat out of the hanger, before turning to him with a curt smile, amused by his expression.

“Hey you.” Looking at the empty mixing bowl, the jug of milk she bought last week, and a cooking app open on his iPad as he leaned on the kitchen counter, Vega found herself furrowing her eyebrows and looking up at him worriedly. “You’re making dinner?”

“Well, for me,” Tom lied, putting on a small grin.

He was thinking of more ways to possibly impress her, surprise her, and somewhat subtly court her again – as if he wanted to completely ignore the fact that a fiancé was waiting for her in the other part of the world. But what kind of a man in his right mind would leave his girlfriend be alone in a flat with another man when she happens to be so wonderful, so fun to be with, and so easy to fall in love with? As much as Tom wanted to deny trying to woo her again, he simply tried to think that he wanted to create a suitable dinner for the two of them considering that they’d be alone in the flat and their female roommate was out gallivanting with her new boyfriend in some amazing French Fine Dining Cuisine. Or so he thought.

“Well,” Vega exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the ingredients lined up. “How about you leave for me a bit of that scrumptious meal you’re making and I’ll taste it tomorrow?”

Tom pursed his lips and then raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile playing on his face as he had to repeatedly stop himself from looking at the swell of her breasts through that thin black satin material. “How about you just have dinner with me first?” he suggested impishly, with a wink. “Unless you’re going on a date…”

You had no idea how his heart jumped when she tilted her head, did a small sigh, and _actually smiled at him_. “Oh Thain,” she said sadly. “I am afraid I am going on a date.”

Successfully hiding the disappointment, Tom just shot her a nonchalant shrug and then a friendly grin as he said, “Well then, I shouldn’t be keeping you from it… Go enjoy yourself, sissy.”

Returning the grin, a grateful one spreading on her face, she turned to sling her small purse around her person as she picked up the new iPhone that had her name on it, her contacts, and _everything_ on the coffee table, where she left it before she took a bath – asking her brother to babysit it for a while, still fussing over it like a little girl who got a new toy.

“I’ll be taking this baby with me,” she exclaimed as she slipped it in her purse. She then turns to find Tom with his back to her, facing the sink as he was starting to wash one of the lettuces he was planning to have for his salad dinner.

“Won’t you leave me a bit of your well-cooked dinner for tomorrow?”

“Well if you insist,” he exclaimed, turning around… that smile still on his face. “I’ll have a packed breakfast for you as you request.”

“You’re the best,” she exclaimed, skipping a bit to the shoe rack, picking out those lovely heels she wore at one party where she had to brag at Tom that she now reached his neck instead of typically reaching his chest. All she got was a noogie and her hairdo destroyed for that night.

She turned to walk to the door, somewhat something nagging at her as she turned around, parting her lips, looking at the man who was busying himself in the kitchen.

Something was telling Vega to probably hold what she had planned for that night, but of course, _she was waiting for this night like in forever_. But there was something in Tom’s eyes, the way he moved, even the way he smiled, that was telling her to stay and eat with him that night… But seeing how calm he’d been, and the way he whistled in the kitchen… Vega told herself silently that he’ll be fine.

“I gotta go,” she exclaimed, finally catching his attention.

“You take care now, sissy,” he said gently, those blue eyes seemingly trying to express something.

“Don’t stay up.”

“Probably just to watch Lust, Caution –“

Vega found herself making a face at him, considering how much she wanted to watch that movie and Tom knew all about it. But considering the nasty grin he was wearing, Vega knew he was just joking. And considering the sexual content? Okay maybe not.

Emitting a small laugh, she hugged the coat around her person and smiled at him, opening the door.

“Love ya, bro!”

Even before the man could react, she gave a small chuckle and was out the door.

Tom couldn’t express the way he looked like that, half a grin on his face, and half the shock of the entire audience when they found out that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker’s father.

“That’s not what you said last night…” was all he could whisper at the closed door that wasn’t going to open again anytime soon.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

The next day was a glorious one as he swore he hasn’t seen the sun that bright in a span of three months.

Having enough of a good sleep after having to silence his phone that was literally dancing on his side table with various texts from women that were in the black book app he deleted, Tom believed that it was a great morning for a nice jog and breakfast at his favorite place –

…which happened to be Gould’s downstairs.

Gould’s happened to have the tastiest bagel served with your choice of butter, cream, or maple syrup… with your own side of beans or fruits. After one lap around three blocks, the man found himself right back in front of his shared apartment, tucking away the arm band with his iPod in it, and scrumptiously enjoying his healthy meal that he’d been craving for the past few days…

Seated at the backmost part of the café, he still managed to admire the sunlight coming out of the wide window, considering that there were very few patrons sitting there eating that fine morning, given the couple who were living just across them, and their beautiful redheaded little girl who was tracing patterns on the window in front of her.

All of a sudden, a cab pulled in front and obscured the little girl’s view of the road, as someone stepped out and caused the little girl to gasp – admiring the woman’s beautiful black satin dress.

Tom realized that he was admiring that satin dress a night before as well, as he found himself wiping the foam of his latte off his upper lip, as the woman was accompanied by a sandy-haired man who was probably two years younger than him… as he gently held onto the woman’s shoulder, his eyes looking around the vicinity, as if he was sizing up the building.

That was when Tom realized that he just saw Gale in person.

He was far from the man Vega had described – considering the fact that Vega didn’t describe him as much. He had an angled jaw just like him, and a gait that reminded him of his father – a bit too stiff. With his hands inside his pockets, he seemed a little bit disinterested with what he was looking at, but that momentary expression melted as his fiancée looked up at him, her face all smiles as he leaned down and kissed her cheek… before gently placing a small lingering smack on her lips.

The woman returned the kiss with much ardor, before he softly disengaged from her passionate embrace, hugging her tightly, before slipping back into the cab. The woman watched his cab drive away with a small smile on her face, before looking down and turning around… climbing the stairs on the side of the café to enter the apartment.

All of a sudden, Tom wondered why he just lost his appetite as he pushed his half-eaten breakfast aside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The braid is symbolic of something. Tom made the same braid on Vega’s hair after that night they watched Star Wars and made out on the couch. He often does this when he thinks that she’s falling in love with him again. When he believes he has hope. It’s really adorable, I’d love to think that every link has a special meaning for him. :(


	46. Many Happy Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom's birthday and Valentines are only five days apart from each other. With Vega's fiance back in town, will she be able to make her Mercenary Brother happy as he deserves to be?

_Have you ever tried Okonomiyaki before, Vega-chan? It’s delicious! – TH_

_Did you just fucking call me… Vega-chan?!! – VG_

_But it suits you best! You’re my “other” little sister and you’re just as cute! – TH_

_That’s really sweet of you Thain, but you better watch out when you get back home. That’s no excuse to mess with me while you’re a hundred leagues of land and sea away from me. – VG_

_But Aeo-chan! – TH_

_THAT’S IT HIDDLESTON I’M MURDERING YOU WHEN YOU GET BACK FROM TOKYO – VG_

 

 

That was the one time Vega actually replied.

Tom would often send texts detailing how he went about the street market of Tokyo, while looking for those wonderful local delicacies his guide won’t stop talking about. In fact, he would drag Luke along with him even if the man was too hesitant to eat those Yakitori (bite-sized pieces of chicken on a skewer) sticks, even if Tom probably had three or four sticks before dinner.

He would often send pictures on iMessage showing those steaming plates of Takoyaki (octopus pancakes) and Okonomiyaki (savory pancakes), clogging up his instagram with various food shots that would make anyone’s mouth water. In fact, some of the girls were already hollering at him in ALL CAPS to quit making them hungry – but all Tom wanted to hear from was from the girl who wouldn’t stop whining on Skype to her brother in Melbourne how much she missed eating these kinds of food.

But knowing Tom, he does take his time in a new country worthwhile.

It wasn’t really his first trip to Japan, considering that they did some backpacking trips with his younger sister Em when they were just fresh out of College, taking a break during that one week after they started going back to work, looking for acting jobs back and forth. That one cultural exposure they had in Kyoto was unforgettable, but he would say that things were much grander and much more magical when you’re on a business trip promoting your new movie, and there is actually a horde of pretty Japanese high-schoolers (some even dressed up as a previous character you played) who wouldn’t stop chanting your name even if they’re being held back by security.

But of course, in the dead of the night, when Tom already had too much sake and Luke is passed out on the couch… he wished he was back home, watching someone fall sleep on the couch after watching the third rerun episode of David Tennant’s fourth season as the Doctor.

Still, wide-awake and sober, Tom wishes that his best-friend was there to enjoy that Japanese culture she dearly loved…

On the other side of the world, his best-friend may be busy gallivanting around London with her fiancé, but secretly she does see every single thing Tom had been sending her… From the little bike ride he had in Kyoto with Luke and his Personal Assistant – to the pictures he took with a bunch of cosplayers at a convention who ranged from Marvel Characters such as Black Widow, Wasp, Ms. Marvel, to amazing Japanese Anime Characters – some he could identify (such as Sailor Moon, Kagome from Inuyasha, and Bulma from Dragon Ball) and some he does not know at all (which Vega eventually identified to be Rukia Kuchiki and Soi Fon from Bleach, Madoka, a female Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist… and so on and so forth).

But as she was waiting for her boyfriend to get out of those merger meetings he’d been having in London, having struck a deal with his bosses at the Hugo-Hartinsson Melbourne branch to try courting a new client while he’s in the country; as she wondered why he would take up on such a challenge when he should be helping her set up their wedding –

She tried to let off some steam by looking at the pictures her best-friend in Japan was currently sending her.

First off there were pictures of Tom being served by what seemed to be an authentic Geisha…

Of course there’s that famous shot of him on a bike, smiling at the camera that was spread all over the social networks and fansites like fire…

And there was a picture or two of him pointing at Luke who was knocked out by Sake… with his client gesturing at him as if he was crazy.

Then of course there was the picture of Tom dancing with a Rikakuma Bear in an interview…

Vega was in the middle of trying to hide her own giggling, possibly not to catch the attention of the strict looking receptionist who was supposedly only a few years older than her, but made even older with the way she tied her hair and would refuse to wear nothing but pencil skirts and those thick rimmed glasses that made her look stricter than what she actually was.

That was when Vega saw this particular picture of Tom being served a giant cake filled with fruits and strawberries, with the lights dimmed in what was believed to be a private function room of one of the most expensive fine dining restaurants in the district – judging by the Angus Steak that was found on his table shared with movie executives and castmates, including a very proud looking Rinko Kikuchi who was clapping her hands to the tune of “Happy Birthday”…

Vega realized that it was February 9.

And she completely forgot all about it.

*Fuck!” she exclaimed, causing the evil receptionist to turn her nose up at her as she hit her head with the screen of her iPhone.

 

 

 

***

 

 

Tom was probably home before Valentine’s Day, but as usual, only Max would be found in the flat.

However, it didn’t help with Tom at all who was still suffering from jetlag, with his duffle bag dangling from those broad shoulders, as he watched Max unusually checking out and modeling her never-worn dresses in front of a mirror… in preparation _for another date_ that evening.

“So,” Tom asked randomly as he leaned against her doorway, wondering what kind of bliss Fred would be having, now that he’s got the love of his life primping herself up for him – and only him. “Ever heard of –“ He gestured blankly at the air, unable to say the words or the _name_ he wanted to say. “You know?”

“Must be at her fiancé’s hotel as usual,” she mused back randomly, hitting him right on the spot, as she tried on this body hugging sexy halter as Tom wandered away and ended up dumping his luggage in his room. “Oh,” Max suddenly sauntered towards his door. “She didn’t tell you that Gale’s already arrived, right?”

The man who had obvious dark circles under his eyes felt like rolling them at his other roommate, but then he remembered that phone call Vega had outside the pub… and that morning outside Gould’s where he believed he has seen him, the man who would marry his best-friend, for the first time. Somewhat, despite all the excitement brought about that Press Junket of Splinter Games in Japan, he suddenly felt sick to the stomach enough to skip brunch that morning upon realizing what he was coming home to.

“She hasn’t,” Tom exclaimed, realizing he hasn’t talked to his _other_ roommate personally. “And speaking of talking,” the man started as he went out of his room and sank down on one of the couches in the living room. “I am planning to have a small celebration this weekend –“

Even before he could finish, Max suddenly dashed out of her room, carrying a small package, dropping it on his lap.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY THOMAS!” she said with a flurry, causing the man who was seemingly sinking into another downward spiral, to suddenly grin brightly as he picked up the small package from his lap and started to run his fingers on the edges of the paper folds, subtly looking at the woman who looked down at him gleefully.

“Sorry it’s a bit late,” Max said, running a hand through her long hair as she waltzed about the room in her dress, unusually enjoying it despite that promise she used to make before, never to wear a skirt in public. “You were in Japan after all.”

Tom shrugged, a bright smile on his face. “It’ll do, and it’s fine –“ he looked back at her. “Thank you.”

Grinning sheepishly, the Latina said, “It’s from _Frederico_ and me, but I believe _baby_ might give you something separate of his own.”

Hearing the term of endearment escaping Max’s lips was surreal, but it somewhat made Tom feel light-hearted. As if somewhat, despite the other occurrences in his life, seeing how in love Max and Fred are with each other is enough to comfort him from his own miseries.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he whispered, trying to guess what was inside the package. “Should I open it?”

Max shrugged and said, “It’s up to you. You can open it now, but you can pile it up in the mountain of gifts in your room. I think that Luke Windsor guy decided to dump a bit of your fanmail in our address since your flat – that was supposedly liveable – is already being stocked up with it and its already spilling through the door –“

Tom felt like groaning.

Chuckling to herself as she went back into her room, leaving her door open as she tried on some jewelry with what she was wearing, Max called out to her roommate still sprawled on the couch. “What were you talking about again? Before I handed you the gift?” She peeked out of the room and added, “By the way, considering that we all know you loving having a run –“ She pointed at the package still wrapped in Tom’s big hand. “Your gift has something to do with that.”

“Thank you again,” he said absent-mindedly, trying to shove the sleep away from his head. “About what I was talking about –“

He felt like sighing, so many things running in his head. First off there was the press junket. Then of course, seeing everything in Tokyo – from the merchandise, to the women, to everyone in cosplay, even the food… somehow he couldn’t stop thinking about someone whom he wished was with him… But considering the fact of his current privilege towards her, and her current occupation towards her fiancé who was in town… what else he can do? That’s when he suddenly remembered what he was supposed to say, upon the memory of several candles standing on top of a strawberry-filled cream-topped cake that made him smile a few days ago.

“As I said,” Tom exclaimed, raising the small gift as he pushed it against his lip, seemingly deep in thought. “I was thinking of holding a small celebration, invite everyone…” He sighs in his isolation in the living room, despite the woman he was talking to was in her room, moving around as she tried another set of necklaces. “You know, celebrate?”

Max had to close the door for a while, as she had to change out of the halter dress she was trying on, only to put on another one. Opening her door and answering the man’s previous question, she piped up saying, “Why not? Where are you planning to hold it?”

“The Almarion Rose,” Tom answered quickly, wondering why he had become even fonder of the place, considering he hasn’t hung out there in years. Honestly, he didn’t have to answer that inquiry in his mind. “It’s got a cozy feel to it, and the best beer –“ He rolled his eyes, knowing that this was his dialogue during _that_ night.

“The Almarion!” Max piped up, this time walking out in an orange tanktop and a bohemian skirt, reminding Tom of how he met her the first time around, as she sat right beside him on the couch. “I haven’t been there before, Fred keeps talking about it.”

The man smiled up at her, amused by the colorful wooden baubles on perched on the swell of her chest… As he quietly laughed to himself knowing that Fred would have a hard time tearing it off her person once they probably chill around his flat that night, after their little “date” – wherever it is. But despite trying to assume what was going to happen to his female roommate that evening, Tom was busy mulling over a question in his mind…

“Here’s the thing,” he started, as he twiddled with his hands, sitting lazily on the solo couch, with Max sitting conveniently on the other solo couch across him, seemingly ready to give advice on whatever problem he was mulling over. “I have been thinking about the guest list while I was on the plane on the way back home –“

“And?” Max exclaimed, trying not to sound exasperated knowing where the conversation was heading, considering that she was about to be picked up by the man’s best friend in thirty minutes or less.

“I was wondering if I should invite –“

The brunette narrowed her eyes and shot back even before the man could finish his sentence. “ARE YOU NUTS?! HOW CAN YOU NOT INVITE HER –“

Tom blinked. “I haven’t even said who –“

Rolling her eyes and tossing her hair back, Max literally called out the thoughts that were secretly floating above his head. “Please Thomas. Just because she’s now completely out of your reach since her fiancé came to town, doesn’t mean you’ll completely exclude her in all your activities,” she barked. “She’s still your best friend, _she’s still your Mercenary Sister_.”

Picking up her coat and grabbing her phone that was making these little noises, Max was suddenly muttering about her sister calling her at such an ungodly hour (when it was supposed to be godly all along), and muttering how Fred is such a flexible honey for picking her up and probably meeting up to have dinner with her sister instead.

Trying not to be envious of the harmonious romance that is occurring between his two friends, having no complications at all after their tumultuous start, Tom was in the middle of moping around with his poise completely forgotten on his seat as he scrolled through his numerous ignored messages that detailed his excitement and experiences in Tokyo…

Tucking the iPhone under his chin, he looked up wondering if it’s even a good idea to invite Vega to his planned Birthday Bash.

Of course, he knows he will regret it and will never forgive himself if he didn’t.

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

_I am having a small gathering on the night of Saturday, February 14 at the Almarion Rose… celebrating the happy thirty-four years of my life. Everyone is expected to RSVP since it is a pocket-sized occasion, but of course dear sister – I always have a spot save for you. So won’t you come? :3 – TH_

 

 

Vega found herself staring at her phone with an absurd looking face amidst the pile of work papers she had scattered all over her table in the Coffee Lounge in the Way HQ, her makeshift workplace also mixed with various files and directories she made up for her impending nuptial planning.

Her mind was currently spinning with Quarter Reports, Feature Modules, and Video Reviews, when all of a sudden – this text pops up from her favorite Mercenary Brother who happened to be back from the Land of the Rising Sun. As much as she wanted to come running home and greet her Best Man with a grand smile and  the entire hullabaloo, Vega swore she had too much on her plate to even step out of the line. And despite the idea of covering Tom in hugs caused butterflies to take up a permanent home in her stomach, the idea was as awkward as a bunny in a bathing suit at such a time when she is supposed to be “hushing up” and “behaving” since her husband-to-be is already in town.

It didn’t help that Sasha and Carrie were in front of her, with their takeaway Macchiato cups, throwing suggestions back and forth as if she was on a crash course on looking for the ideal dress for her big day.

 

“Vega you silly bird, you must get Vivienne Westwood!”

“Are you kidding me, Sash? SHE’S EXPENSIVE!”

“But haven’t you got that rich boyfriend who’s got a contract with Marvel –“

 

Vega never thought she could throw dagger looks that early in the morning, even if she ate her favorite home-cooked breakfast and ordered a caramel macchiato takeaway that was barely even half-empty before Sasha dropped that despicable line.

“He definitely can take care of that kind of pricetag!” Sash said wit h a giggle, hiding her mouth behind a hand, showing off her large ruby ring. It didn’t help that Carrie had a dreamy look as well, as if she was emanating light and it was reflecting off her like she was the sun.

 _This is what Valentine’s Day does to people_ , Vega found herself frowning as she slipped a few wedding dress designs under a personal folder. _They get irrational, airheaded, brainless twits –_

 

_Ding!_

 

“OH MY GOD GALE’S TAKING ME OUT TO THE LA CONSTANCIA TONIGHT! EEEEEEEEEE!”

Vega started doing this silly little dance as she jumped out of her chair, clutching her new phone as she completely ignored the way Carrie and Sasha snickered to themselves, or the fact that she started attracting the attention of other people who were at the Café Lounge. Ironic as it seems, Vega was suddenly uncontrollably excited when she received that text from her boyfriend.

In fact, the entire café seemed to be celebrating. Couples in the company were having Valentines themed drinks, some women were walking around with a rose or two, or even an entire bouquet. The entire café was themed red, and in fact the HQ was littered with hearts from the lobby to the entertainment center.

It didn’t help that August was in an extra sulky mode, and you couldn’t talk to Topher at all after being on the phone for the past hour, trying to secretly reserve a table at Bistrot Bruno without Carrie finding out about it. The good thing was August was aware of the tantrums he could throw so he ended up locking himself in the Research Lounge in the 35th, while the girls were discussing things such as love, flowers, roses, and weddings.

“You must be so excited!” Carrie exclaimed, hands clasped together as she rode the elevator back to their office with her supervisor and their Promotionals Representative, who couldn’t get off her phone, trying to decide which guy she was going out with later. “Your fiancé is finally in town and its Valentine’s Day!”

“It’s a miracle really,” Vega replied, all smiles. As the elevator went upward, so did the woman’s spirits. Her head was currently spinning with all the ideas she wanted for her wedding, the reception, the people she’d invite, and even the dress she’d possibly wear… By the time they reached their floor, Vega had a bounce in her step and her head was clearly up in the air.

“Should I answer Mark’s text?” Sasha mused out loud as she looked at her phone, falling behind on how Vega walked fast on her heels, Carrie tagging along behind her as they rounded the corner of the floor, approaching their department. “He offered for us to have a little stroll by the river and –“

“I seem to like the blonde one from Promotions, what’s his name again?” Carrie exclaimed, looking back.

“You mean Sharpe Collins? Yeah he’s quite the hunk –“

Vega was about to open the big sliding doors to her office, when Topher suddenly walked out, surprised to see her. He only exclaimed, “Oh Miss Vey, someone seems to be looking for you – but they just left a package on your desk –“

The woman turned around to see her Graphics Designer walk past her, shooting the little blonde who was standing behind her a small smile, before disappearing towards the pantry.

“What are you talking about –“ Vega called out, but the man didn’t answer her.

Shrugging to herself, the woman just decided to approach her desk. With her mind spinning with all the events that were happening and about to happen in her life, she was thinking how she didn’t want to worry about another mysterious detail and she completely forgot that it was Valentines Day…

…until she found this beautiful bouquet of a dozen roses (or even more) sitting on her desk, covering the entire area that wasn’t covered with paperwork with petals.

As Vega felt as if her heart was about to jump out of her throat, she thought that she also went deaf with the squealing that came out of Carrie and Sasha’s mouths.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

The woman stepped out of the cab in her brightest grin, wearing her finest pea coat and that red lace dress she barely wears, as she carried those matching beautiful red roses against her chest, clicking her heels against the pavement as she approached the restaurant where she was supposed to meet the love of her life in.

All smiles with a demeanor sunnier than what the weather was being, Vega grinned at the doorman as he let her through, her eyes falling towards that gorgeous man who sat in a distant chair wearing his expensive waistcoat and dress shirt over a pair of well pressed slacks; as he stood up… holding a bouquet that consisted of roses… daisies, lilies, and carnations, nearing almost the same size of the set she was holding.

“Woah,” Gale said in surprise, eyes blinking upon seeing the huge floral ensemble in Vega’s arms… before snapping out of his stupor to place his own set of flowers down to pull up a chair for his fiancée.

Eyeing the ensemble he just placed down, wrapped in orange paper, Vega cluelessly looked at hers wrapped in silver, red, and gold, as she made a face.

“You didn’t –“

There was a glint in the man’s green eyes, but then he just shrugged and said, “No darling, I bought _these_ for you –“ He exclaimed as he picked up the orange bouquet and handed it to her.

Subtly placing down the beautiful ensemble of the reddest roses she has ever seen, realizing how she probably sniffed and enjoyed its fragrance in the cab on the way to their place of meet; Vega took her love’s offering and brought it close to her chest, smiling warmly at him.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “They’re wonderful…”

The man in front of her straightened his red tie and smiled at her, flashing that boyish smile which still brings a warm flutter within her center. However, he felt his eyes falling onto the empty seat beside the two of them that was currently occupied by the larger bouquet of red roses.

“You’re welcome, babe,” Gale exclaimed. “Sorry it isn’t as big as –“

“Are you sure you ain’t the one who –“ Vega started, her eyes darting towards the redder flowers.

Gale shook his head. “I’m afraid not, babe.”

The woman raised an eyebrow, her eyes falling down upon the red flowers. _Who could have sent these?_ She wondered, blinking repeatedly, straining those long eyelashes that were inked with her mascara… But as she looked back at her fiancé to express a random thought about the situation, she found Gale wearing a mischievous smile.

“Seems like my baby has a secret admirer…” he said in a rogue-ish manner, grinning devilishly as he licked his lips.

Vega ended up raising an eyebrow at her husband-to-be.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Lucky for them, the Almarion Rose wasn’t really a well-known pub in town.

Tom and Fred considered it as their hideout from all the women they were running away from back when they were back in University; having a few drinks as they laughed about the most obnoxious professors, the hottest “birds”, and discussing what else could they not screw up in their lives considering the goals they wanted to take.

Now the Almarion has a regular crowd, but the duo had known the owner for years. Considering that most yuppies would be out in the bigger pubs on Valentine’s Day, while the older set would either be celebrating at home with their families or in high end restaurants; with Fred’s help and a little agreement from the owner, Tom managed to close down the Almarion for the night where he and his guests could easily mingle behind closed doors without having to be scrutinized by prying eyes.

Despite having a small guest list, you would admit that it had several famous names in it.

From his old friends from Eton, he also had some good colleagues from RADA who were present in his little birthday bash, teasing him of how cheesy it was to hold it on Valentine’s Day. Despite Benedict not being able to make it due to a shoot in Germany, he managed to send Lou and Mark Gatiss to be in his place, but of course, you know that this is something Ben would definitely say.

Tom’s younger sister Emma was also there, bringing him a heartfelt guilt of a new set of gloves for the cold weather and subtly hinting that he was to use it for other means, never to hide his scars again. He would admit he teared up when she said this, before he took her in his arms and hugged her as if he hadn’t seen her since Christmas.

Of course, Max and Fred were present – along with Mari and Pete who came a little bit late compared to the new couple, considering that they had a little dinner out in town first before coming to the Almarion. The married couple managed to provide a decent gift to their thespian friend, giving him the finest bottle of William Lawson’s scotch. Tom generously thanked the two, saying that he’s saving it for a special occasion, and he hopes that Mari and Pete will be there to share it with him.

With the bar open for everyone, with Tom (and Fred secretly) taking care of the expenses, Max probably had a few glasses of beer when she realized that it was already 11pm. Trying out the mead that eventually took Vega out, she eventually squeezed it out of Fred that he gave the man a pair of tickets to a cruise, asking him to take a break from his busy schedule… and maybe take someone with him. Fred sighed mentioning it to Max that Tom did thank him, but he did say that he didn’t know who to bring…

And that was when Max realized that it was almost an hour to midnight.

Tempted to take her phone and start texting as she watched Tom happily conversing and receiving well wishes from his fellow celebrity friends such as Jessica Chastain, Hayley Atwell, and Chris O’ Dowd… the man would often look at the door as he drank from a bottle, seemingly waiting for something to happen… or _someone_ to arrive.

Max had barely typed in the name of the person in her contacts, as she was supposed to barrage them with messages and calls… when she finally walked through the doors – waving first at Luke Windsor who was chatting with a female colleague near the door.

She looked around, clearly blowing a gust of air past those newly clipped bangs as she tightly held her brown leather jacket round her shoulders, covering a dainty white dress – changing from her red lace ensemble to fit the events of the night. Her face somewhat glowed in the dim lights of the Almarion, considering that she was wearing full makeup – though this is clearly for entirely different reasons and not because she was going to _someone’s_ birthday party… considering where she was earlier that night.

Searching the room for the reason why she’s there, she shot Max a sheepish grin despite the other woman’s dagger looks – as she pointed at the other end of the bar, where the man she was looking for was listening to an animated discussion between his sister and Mark Gatiss, despite looking a bit exasperated and unusually bored.

But the moment she came to approach him, Tom quickly got off his seat upon seeing the bride-to-be, seemingly shy and guilty all of a sudden due to the fact that she was late. _Hours_ late.

“Looks like you’ve got company,” Mark exclaimed, raising his eyebrows as he grinned at the man who just smiled back awkwardly. As Mark rejoined Lou who was on the table chatting with Eddie Redmayne, Emma looked up at her brother, wondering why he looked a bit uneasy and was wondering what this Asian woman could have done to make him feel that way –

She just had to jump up on her feet when she realized who it was.

But realizing who she the blonde woman who was suddenly standing beside the man she was supposed to be talking to, Vega suddenly felt like backing away from her best friend.

“It’s really weird,” she started, feeling awkward all of a sudden. “I don’t know whether to greet you Happy Birthday or Happy Valentine’s…” She winced, trying to wear a decent smile despite having no legal excuse for being late to a birthday celebration she was invited to.

Opening his mouth, a thousand words racing in his head in hopes of trying to convey how happy he was that she was there, or how worried he was that she wasn’t coming and if he had offended her of some sort, or wanting to let her know how much he missed her after not seeing her for weeks after his trip to the other side of the world…

All Tom managed to say was, “Oh right. Vega, this is my sister, Emma.”

Vega wasn’t even able to say a shy and squeaky hello when the blonde woman who was definitely smaller than him but taller than her suddenly stepped forward and hugged her, as a small shy smile spread upon her older brother’s face while he looked away.

“I’ve been dying to meet you,” Emma exclaimed in a voice she did not expect. Vega hasn’t really watched all of her roommate’s movies, but she was aware that Emma who was also in the same business as her more-famous elder sibling, as she starred in the same movie as him several years ago when they were still struggling actors. “Tom here wouldn’t stop talking about you back in University, bragging to me that he knows a girl almost my age in Asia! And then I hear that he finally met you – and then next thing I know you’re saving his life and –“

Vega felt her eyes widen in surprise as she smiled at the older woman once she released her from her embrace, until she realized that just like her older brother, Emma could easily be moved to tears. “I’m just so glad to have finally met you,” she exclaimed with much honor upon seeing how speechless Vega was, completely unprepared to meet Tom’s family.

“Same,” she exclaimed, never knowing how stable her voice sounded, despite being caught in her throat, as she saw Tom’s smile reach from ear to ear upon hearing her speak. “Same here. I’m honored.” Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage and smiled. “Very honored.”

To her surprise, someone cleared her throat as Tom tapped Emma on the shoulder, muttering, “Em, you’re killing her. I know how you bugged me if she’s turning up and here she is –“

“I’m sorry!” she said in a tone that weirdly reminded Vega of her male roommate. “But she’s been a part of you that for me she’s practically family too –“

Vega swore she was so glad the lights were so dim that she blushed on the spot, with Emma still holding on to her arm, as sharing a friendly squabble with her older brother… whose hand was currently resting on her shoulder.

“I know, I know,” Tom exclaimed, dismissing the happy shiver that ran down his spine. “But I hope you’d excuse us, I think she’s got me a gift and she bought me a new car –“

The woman who was the smallest of the three gaped at the tall man violently, as Emma finally started to laugh, something far too ladylike and less ridiculous than how her brother does it. “Alright fine,” she exclaimed, smiling back at Vega as if she was being handed back to the man. “I’m just glad that you finally let me meet her.”

Turning to Vega, Em gratefully whispers, “My brother is very fond of you. I hope you could take care of him.” Squeezing her hand, the woman then moved back to talk with some of her fellow shared acquaintances with her brother, mostly colleagues from RADA, allowing Tom to take the newcomer to an empty part of the bar.

The bartender smiled upon seeing the familiar girl as she took up the stool beside her male roommate, as Tom held up two fingers indicating a request for two glasses of beer. Much to Vega’s surprise, she was served a full glass of the famous Almarion Almarillo, which she declared to be her favorite on that _one night_ when everything came out.

“Tom, you’ve got to be kidding me –“

“Maybe just a glass,” he said with that sparkle in his eye. “If you do take more than one and still get wankered, I’d still be more than happy to escort you back to the flat.”

Vega smiled back at how he beamed at her, before looking down to clutch her new black purse, as she bit her lip and gripped the handle of her glass. The thing was she spent an entire evening going around Soho after having a wonderful dinner with Gale at an expensive bistro that had all the favorite sushi and Japanese dishes she ever dreamed of. And of course, she really wasn’t planning to stay that long, but she just could just _not_ drop by… despite the awkward meeting with his sister, the relatively big crowd of celebrities that greeted her upon her arrival; making her feel uncomfortable.

“Yeah,” she started, raising her eyebrows before taking a sip of the concoction. “The thing is I’m not coming home tonight.”

“Oh,” You could literally see Tom’s smile. “At least stay? For a drink or two?”

The woman looked at him, not with that condescending look she always gives him whenever he asks for her for a favor, not that sarcastic look she gave him when he first treated her out to a drink when she met him in a VIP room in the Nexus Center Convention two years. She had a small smile on her face, and she eventually nodded, much to Tom’s delight.

Taking a sip from his nth drink, Tom exclaimed, “Wouldn’t you ask me how Japan was?”

Vega almost snorted through her drink. “Please,” she said, wiping a bit of foam off her mouth. “I’ve seen too many pictures from your messages to even ask how it was –“

The man bowed down, a mix of disappointment and a bit of a flush on his face. Disappointed that she doesn’t seem to be interested, but flushed to realize that she saw through all of it despite not replying.

“However,” Vega spoke again, interrupting his thoughts. “I’ve seen that huge birthday dinner and that scrumptious strawberry cake –“ She couldn’t help but grin too when the man smiled whilst drinking through his beer. “I’ve been wondering how that tasted and how many times should I punch you for not bringing some home.”

“I can recreate that for you Aeo.”

“Don’t even try to burn down the flat Thomas –“

Tom was in mid-guffaw when all of a sudden the already dim lights in the pub suddenly went out, sinking the entire place in darkness. But all of a sudden, the owner of the pub, a fifty-something named Joe whom Tom and Fred knew since their early twenties, came out from the back and was accompanied by the bartender whom he also knew for all these years and his Scottish best-friend as they carried out a large birthday cake with a number of candles of them.

As the people started to sing and hum the start to Happy Birthday, Vega found herself covering her mouth as Tom placed a hand over his chest, looking equally surprised as well as people gathered around them in the middle of the bar.

Removing her hand from her lips, Vega found Mari and Pete standing behind her as she put on her best smile and started singing the merry tune as well, silently cherishing the way her best-friend’s face was lighted up (despite the fact that the smile on Tom’s face was too bright for words to describe) with the candles on top of the cake that was laid out in front of him.

“Make a wish, brother dear,” he heard Em’s voice from behind him, with her hand on his shoulder, as Tom eagerly leaned forward and blew out all his candles, submerging the pub with darkness again before someone turned on the lights to the sound of people applauding all around him.

Amidst the happy chatter and the well-wishes repeated to the thirty-four year old thespian, Fred turned to smile at the man and said, “I saw that smile on your face Thomas. What did you wish for?”

For some reason, the blonde with that beautiful short curls found himself smiling as he looked at the woman sitting across him, who had to glance in his direction in the middle of chatting with Mari whom she only saw during that day… suddenly wondering what he had to say for himself.

“It’s a secret,” he whispered before looking back down, earning a warm grip on his shoulder by his Scottish buddy, and an unseen smile from his female best friend.

 

 

 

***

 

As promised, Vega had that extra glass of beer while in the middle of chatting with Mari in the middle of the bar after Tom had his little toast with her, to which the youngest woman in their group just wished him a good year.

“Oh it’s already a good year for me, darling,” he said with a smile before gingerly placing his hand on her shoulder, letting his fingers subtly brush on the edges of her hair, before leaving her in the company of their fellow Mercenary Sister.

Eventually Max joined their little chatter, subtly berating Vega for being late, to which the woman just randomly said that she got there “in the nick of time”, before almost being sloshed in the face saying that she’s too busy canoodling with her now-present fiancé. The three girls had a little laugh about it, with the two girls asking Vega about her plans for her wedding, to which the girl points at the two and discloses almost nothing – saying that everything is still under the works and is under discussion with her precious fiancé.

Having one last glass of mead to top it off, Vega eventually stood up from her seat and found herself scouring the room for the guest of honor, as she found him chatting with the redhead from Zero Dark Thirty. Approaching him, once again, Tom was up his feet finding her coming towards his direction as the girl painfully apologized that she has to leave and wished him Happy Birthday once more… but not after she was introduced to his celebrity friends, with Jessica Chastain raising an eyebrow and smiling brightly upon hearing her name… making her wonder (and subtly deflecting the raised eyebrow from the woman to her British friend) how often does the man drop her name in public.

However, Tom was more concerned about her early departure, considering it was past midnight.

“Won’t you stay?” He says.

“Agh,” she started, getting a bit fidgety. “I need to be somewhere else. And brother dear, I already gave you my promise of a second glass of beer.” _Hic!_ Vega found herself covering her mouth all of a sudden, despite her eyes widening to find Tom suddenly blushing as he could hear Jessica chuckling behind him. “Okay, maybe I had _another_ glass of mead as suggested by the girls –“

“Oh, you mean they goaded you into it,” he said breathily, before opening his arms. “Come here you.”

Smiling as she stepped forward and allowed herself to be embraced, Vega thought that it wouldn’t really mean anything after all it’s his “birthday”, its Valentines, and he was being so sweet, gentle and kind all at the same time… However, despite trying to recognize her own need to hold the man in her arms, the girl felt like shrinking the moment when she thought that he was holding her for too long.

Trying not to look awkward as she smiled back at him, she saw a bit of hesitation in the man’s eyes as they said goodbye with Vega hinting that she’d eventually be back at the flat… at some other point during the week.

Having properly said farewell to the birthday boy, Vega found her ticket out of the Almarion Rose.

But she had barely set a few steps from the door, when Max was suddenly chasing her out on the curb, screaming her name in profanity.

“MOTHERFUCKING HELL GUERRERO!!! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?”

Rolling her eyes and palming her face, she turned around and had to shoo away a taxi she just hailed, only to shoot the woman a confused look on the face. “I gotta go --” she suddenly felt like fidgeting, much to Max’s chagrin. “Somewhere.”

Crossing her arms, Max says, “Suit yourself. Don’t tell me. I’m not your bestfriend.”

Vega found herself whining exasperatedly.

“You could have at least stayed and talked to _him_ longer,” the long-haired Latina exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

The Asian girl placed a hand on her hip and said, “I have a boyfriend waiting at the other part of town, and personally don’t want to keep him waiting.”

There was a fixed expression on Max’s face, seemingly reading exasperation or loss of hope. But clearly it was tiresome to look at, and the woman was clearly tired of having to blow a gust of air whenever a situation crops up like this. As much as she’s happy and she loves her two roommates, the lingering awkwardness between them ever since Vega’s boyfriend got back from Melbourne was just driving her nuts. _How can I be happy when my roommate clearly isn’t!?_ She used to tell Fred. _And I’m not talking about one. I’m talking about both_.

“Sometimes I think you’re using that _boyfriend_ as an excuse,” she muttered under her breath, causing Vega to mechanically turn her head towards her.

“Excuse me?” she said in a tone that let her friend know that it kind of hit a nerve.

Waving her hands in front of her face, Max suddenly had to retract her words judging the murderous look on Vega’s face. “Alright, I’m sorry,” she tried to clean her slate. “But at least let me ask you something –“

Vega stood there exasperated as well, as if she had to listen to her mother repeat the same instructions she gave her that morning. “What is it?” she exhaled.

Crossing her arms and looking the girl in the eye, in the cold night air, ignoring a very few number of couples passing them by, Max found herself breaking the silence by sighing.

“Why didn’t you take him with you?”

Wrinkling her nose, Vega said, “Who?”

“Gale. Your fiancé. You know we’re dying to meet him,” Max continued. “I’m quite sure Mari has met him, I’d like to know who is this man my best friend is marrying, and _he_ deserves to know as well. Tonight was the best timing. Why not?”

Suddenly clasping her hands together, Vega found herself peering back in the visibly clear windows of the Almarion Rose, catching a glimpse of her best-friend who was busy laughing with Louise Brealey who held up her iPad on a table as she, Tom, and Mark were having a little Facetime conference with Ben who called up just to wish his friend a happy birthday. There was a sudden glow on Tom’s face that she noticed, and to which Max took note of – since it didn’t exist on his face (except when he gave a hug or received a gift) before _someone_ turned up on the front door of the Almarion.

“It’s…” she sighed. “It’s not the best time.”

She turned to her friend, whose glare suddenly melted away, seeing the distress and worry on Vega’s face… along with a trace of longing and understanding that she mutually shared in silence with the man who was now laughing gaily inside the pub. “It’s his birthday,” Vega exclaimed, gripping her black bag tightly in her small hands, giving it a squeeze. “It’s not the best time…”

Tilting her head, seeing something not everyone else is seeing, Max smiled and whispered. “You do care about him.”

Whipping her head to glare at her, Vega shot back, “I do! Of course, I do!”

Her face suddenly turning stern, Max muttered, “Why didn’t you bring him a gift then?”

Throwing her hands up in the air, Vega said through gritted teeth as she violently hailed the next cab that passed by, as it stopped with a screech. “It’s taken care of alright?” She yanked a door open and wrinkled her nose at the woman. “Stop worrying.”

“Will I see you at the flat tomorrow?!” Max called out before Vega could shut the door in her face.

“Maybe on the next!” She got in and rolled down her window.

“Stop _worrying_!”

And with that, the cab sped off, taking her best-friend away.

Max sighed, shook her head, as a small smile turned on her face, before she turned around and walked back in the pub… wondering what clingy Fred had to say after her short disappearance.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

It was past three when Tom, Max, and Fred got back to the flat.

The woman was completely wankered, and Fred had to end up winking at Tom as he carried her to the room across, shutting the door behind him. Tom on the other hand was still all smiles after that little singing game he shared with whoever was left in the pub before they all called it quits, and he felt like fixing himself a small cup of tea before bed… only to hear the giggles and moans coming from Max’s room, causing him to just roll his eyes and palm his face, before stumbling – also pissed drunk, into his room.

Flicking his lights open as he opened the door to his room, he was thinking of throwing himself straight into bed with his head spinning – when he had to halt in his tracks.

There sat a big box in the middle of the bed – covered in an expensive reflective red paper, and tied up with a long gold ribbon. Sauntering over towards it, Tom was wondering how this one got to his room – when he left all the other gifts handed to him last night at the pub, telling Joe that he’d pick them up when he’s sober.

Holding it up, he was completely surprised how heavy it was.

Unraveling the beautifully made golden ribbon that held the box, a card fell to the side of the bed, catching his attention. Picking it up, Tom flipped it open and read:

 

_To my dearest Thain,_

_To the best friend a girl could ever have_

_And to my Best Man_

_May your year be filled with glee and happiness,_

_Because you and I both know you deserve it._

_Never stop smiling, never stop shining_

_Never snuff that light out in your heart._

_From your sister,_

_Aeoren._

 

Hands shaking as he held the card, he didn’t know whether it was the excessive amounts of alcohol he had in his little birthday party, or the fact that just when he thought that there was all there is to it – Vega’s short appearance at the pub… but this wasn’t the case.

He quickly tore off the wrapper, only to find it hiding a small cardboard box… Upon lifting the lid, he came face to face with the cover of an old book that read, “ _Illustrated Collection of Shakespeare’s Complete Works_ ” that was probably about thirty to fifty years old. Turning the pages, it had manuscript-style designs and was not an abridged version at all – making it slightly thicker than the thickest dictionary or encyclopaedia you would find in a bookworm’s library.

Suddenly, that day when Vega was boasting that she got something precious out of an Antique store, finally made perfect sense to him. He remembered Max saying that she got it on sale, to which Vega just says that it was a reasonable deal – when in fact she paid quite a huge amount for it. Upon asking her what was inside the bag she was carrying, Vega only smiled at Tom and said “It’s a secret.”

Now it’s his little secret.

Never have Tom felt so awake, despite swearing that he’d go to sleep the moment he stepped out of the pub. But as he held his gift in his hands, he felt himself rereading the woman’s birthday message again… realizing that parts of it reminded him of her words during that time he was in a downhill spiral after his little self-harm incident… and also during that one time she tried to comfort him in his flat after that Bahz Luhrmann party…

Holding the book close to his chest, Tom lifted a hand to touch his cheek, still in awe with what Vega managed to accomplish despite seemingly acting distant and aloof ever since her boyfriend arrived… when he retracted his fingers from his face only to find out that tears have fallen from his eyes.

“Oh Vega,” he felt himself whisper, getting the courage to smile despite the fact that he couldn’t stop crying at that moment, as he cradled her gift in his arms.

 

 

***

 

 

**_[Entry # 46] Roses, Roses… From whom are you?_ **

 

_I received the most beautiful red roses for Valentines… but they’re not from whom I was expected._

_Where did you come from my pretties?_

_Will my secret admirer ever show up?_

_Bonus points if you’re royalty._

_Even more bonus points if you’re Prince Harry_.

 

It was almost four am.

Vega sat on an empty chair in the veranda of her boyfriend’s hotel, as she was dressed in the same white lace-edged dress that she wore during the entire evening – from Soho to the Almarion. Although her leather jacket was laid aside on the couch after a long make-out session with Gale that earned the man several hickeys, she found herself posting the pictures she took of her “mystery” roses on her website from her iPad as she waited for the man to come out of the shower and beckon her to bed.

Biting her lip as she thought about the events of the night, a part of her wondered whether or not she was being too rude or crass by leaving the Almarion early. It was mostly due to Max’s intrusive questions, but she seriously would not wonder why the woman is being all nosy once more – after all she did interfere in between her and Fred (even if it did yield positive results). And as much as Max was having her own lovelife now, she is still concerned about their male roommate. It could be said that her female best friend just wants everyone to have the same happiness as she was having… but Vega knows that’s just not always possible.

However, despite Max’s little worries concerning Tom, as Vega said it – she knows she got everything covered. In fact, the way _everything has been taken care of_ might earn her a tackle glomp or hug from the man the next time she sees him, and despite the circumstances, Vega would not say that she’s not ready for that this time around. In fact, a little hug from Tom seems like a wonderful idea now… like how she actually unconsciously _craves_ it…

But still her thoughts returned to the greatest mystery of that event-filled day: the roses.

She was in the middle of her own doubts, when suddenly her iPad bleeped, notifying a reply on her blog. Taking a look, Vega was seemingly surprised at who else could be awake at that time of night.

 

_ 1 COMMENT _

_TragicAnon1 – They truly are lovely, like you. Happy Valentines, Miss Star_.

Gaping a bit at the reply, Vega found herself staring blankly at the words “like you” considering the anon’s reply. Looking up from the glaring white glow of her device, the woman looked at the sparkling lights of the city, wondering what was making her feel all tingly yet so bothered at that exact moment. Looking back down at the reply, Vega began to wonder who that TragicAnon1 was.

She didn’t want to think of anything, after all, this was an anon – someone anonymous, and they could be _anyone_. Anyone she doesn’t know of, yet _anyone_ whom she actually knows…

Biting her lip, she left a comment.

 

_ 2 COMMENTS _

_TragicAnon1 – They truly are lovely, like you. Happy Valentines, Miss Star_.

 **_ Miss Star: RE: TragicAnon1:_ ** _– Thank you, TA1! Happy Valentines! Though I really wish I knew who sent me these roses…_

 

 _Whoever they are, they do have good timing_ , Vega thought as she placed her iPad down. But still she couldn’t help but think – _Who is this TragicAnon1 anyway?_

After all, that same anon carrying that really weird name had been replying to most of her entries ever since she started posting the year before. There were days when they would have a long and fruitful discussion about things, and once more she finds herself pouring her heart out to a complete stranger… someone she doesn’t know at all. But in a world where coincidences always happen, sometimes Vega couldn’t help but think that she _knows_ who this anon is… especially now that in her latest posts, it’s always been _them_ who were left replying.

But as much as it was sweet of them to compare her to a bunch of roses from a stranger… _could this be a sign?_ Vega couldn’t help but think. The world is full of coincidences and sometimes the universe likes to play tricks on itself. Could it be that this anon is linked with her mysterious valentine sender?

But then again, she could be paranoid.

To her surprise, her iPad bleeped again.

 

_ 3COMMENTS _

_TragicAnon1 – They truly are lovely, like you. Happy Valentines, Miss Star_.

 **_ Miss Star: RE: TragicAnon1:_ ** _– Thank you, TA1! Happy Valentines! Though I really wish I knew who sent me these roses…_

_TragicAnon1: Thank you, darling. But maybe it’s a secret. :-)_

 

Unable to answer, Vega put her iPad on hibernate, balanced it on her knee and perched her chin on it as she sat on the chair in the cold night air, with her feet up on the seat. As much as it was an eventful evening, and she knows she made _someone_ happy, Vega still couldn’t stop thinking about her own dilemma – the mystery roses.

And it didn’t help at all that an anon seems to know something about it.

_TragicAnon1, who are you?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason, that scene where Vega is looking out at the veranda while on her iPad – requires a playback of Selena’s “Dreaming of You”, though I prefer [Juris’s version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPULaNzwLvM&feature=kp).


	47. Here Comes The Bride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Problems crop up for the bride that the Best Man has to step up to the plate to relieve her of her worries. But the question is, can he handle it once she starts to smile and he starts to lose control in front of the blushing bride?

“MAX!”

Tom had barely opened the front door after his usual morning jog when he heard that voice within the flat, making his heart leap. Quickly opening the door, he had this smile on his face that could not be erased – only for it to melt down upon seeing someone slam the room door in one of his roommate’s faces… making him wonder what was going on.

“Max! Come on!” Vega exclaimed, dressed in her jeans and an old plaid shirt she hasn’t worn in a long time. “Come out! Talk to me! Don’t do this –“

“I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY TO BRIDES WHO CLAIM THAT I’M THEIR BEST FRIEND BUT CHOOSE ANOTHER MAID OF HONOR!”

Upon hearing this, Tom felt his jaw drop. But with how he entered the flat completely unnoticed before disappearing in the bathroom to have a quick shower, he found himself slightly leaving the door open so he could hear what the girls were screaming about and see what his favorite roommate is up to…

“Max,” Vega sighed exasperatedly. “Please let me explain –“

“IT’S NOT FAIR! YOU GET TO CHOOSE TOM TO BECOME THE BEST MAN AND YOU WON’T EVEN PICK ME! YOU HAVE NOTHING TO SAY TO ME! GO AWAY!”

Sighing, Vega raised a fist to her face, rubbing the bridge of her nose against it.

“Max –“

“WHO FUCKING CARES ABOUT YOUR COUSIN FROM SINGAPORE?!! LET HER WEAR THAT FUCKING DRESS! IT’LL MAKE ME LOOK FAT ANYWAY!”

“Come on Max, can’t we talk about this?”

“GO AWAY!”

“Even if it’s over Max Brenner’s waffles –“

“I SAID GO AWAY!”

Tom had to close the bathroom door silently upon seeing the woman slink away helplessly from Max’s, not wanting to see Vega’s pain any further. Seeing her all hunched up and dejected in front of the woman’s bedroom door wasn’t what he was looking forward to seeing upon coming home, considering that this was the first time he saw her after that eventful week that led to Valentine’s day. Considering that he was covered in sweat and grime, he decided to step in the shower and tidy himself up before attempting to approach the woman – wanting to be at his top form if he ever tries to pull her out of that miserable state.

 

 

 

***

 

 

An hour later, Tom was already dressed in a newly ironed white dress shirt, wearing his leather jacket over it, as he walked through the doors of the Steam Room.

And just as he expected, he found her having her favorite macchiato in a familiar corner, as she looked in a distance, clearly forlorn as she had her iPad out littering the table along with other files and papers from her organizer – that were mostly notes and notices, along with Wedding Venue brochures she has procured over the past month.

Her hair was a slight mess, her glasses were askew, and she was looking out of the window completely at a loss on what to do – it literally made Tom feel sorry for her. But most of all he found himself silently asking the question – _Why is she alone?_

“There you are, sissy,” he announced, causing the woman to look up, raising her head from her hands, as she also lifted an eyebrow at the familiar tone.

“Tom,” she said in a dreamlike state, not at all the sunny or cheerful tone she carried at least when he last saw her from the flat. “How did you find me?”

The man shrugged as he took a menu from the nearby waiter’s table, considering that they were regulars, in which the servers just let them do what they want in The Steam Room. “This is our usual haunt,” he replied. “You could be at Orleans, but we’re not really plotting anyone’s downfall – I’m sorry – I mean, matchmaking anyone anymore; and you could be at Gould’s but you don’t like how their caramel syrup mixes with their brew…”

The man then licked his lips and said, “And that’s where Max often meets with Fred during breakfast these days.”

Vega palmed her face yet again and let out this small groan that only she and her roommate could hear as Tom flatly placed the menu on the surface of the table, its laminated edges almost knocking the tip of the woman’s iPad when he did so. “So,” she said wearily, raising her head and feebly smiling at her friend. “You heard us at the flat.”

Tom winced, before shooting her a sheepish, slightly shit-eating grin. “Well,” he said, flexing his arm as he held it up, now not wearing any gloves and the traces of his scars were nothing but a thin line that were just a small degree darker than his actual skin tone – good enough to hide by makeup. “You didn’t see me come in, but I would say that… I did hear every word.”

The woman balanced her face on her palm and blinked sleepily, as Tom noticed how there were dark circles under her eyes, how she wore less and less makeup whenever he saw her, as well as the fatigue and anxiety building about her aura. Surely, this isn’t the face of a woman excited to get married – and this worried him.

“Is something the matter, sissy?” He asked, realizing that maybe if he stuck to calling her by that silly nickname he often uses for Em, it would hurt less. And you know what hurts less… “Wouldn’t you want to tell me?”

Vega found herself chewing on her lip, before raising those dark eyes to look at the man who was eagerly waiting for her to speak, before shoving towards him a small stationery pad with a long list of names, some of them crossed out. Tom narrowed his eyes and held it up, realizing that his name was on it too, highlighted with an asterisk. He looked down and saw names of the other girls as well, including Fred. Realizing that this was the invitation list – he found himself raising an eyebrow upon noticing how the number of people was _relatively small_.

“Is this –“

“Kind of small, isn’t it?” Vega spoke up, confirming his doubts.

Tom looked up from the wad of paper, eyebrows furrowed. “Why is it so?”

The girl felt like losing all her poise and was almost slumped over the table as she tried to explain why a few weeks ago she was so excited about this entire thing, and now she was reduced to an anxious and disappointed woman who was depressed enough to look like a spinster when her fiancé is back in town after almost a year.

“Gale’s parents wouldn’t be able to make it here in London,” Vega said in a melancholic tone. “Considering this business they’re taking care of, they’re worried that most of their relatives won’t be able to attend the ceremony.” Frowning, the woman stretched out on her side of the couch, folding and unfolding the sleeves of her plaid shirt, seemingly deep in thought. “They proposed for a Melbourne wedding –“

The man sitting in front of her raised his eyebrows. “But?”

Vega shrugged, and said. “I want my friends to be there, I want you to be there, I want –“

Tom shrugs and says, “I can always put you on my schedule. I can always come over to Melbourne. I am quite sure that the girls will do that as well.“ He turned his eyes in her direction. “And shouldn’t it be easy for you? Your family is also there, your parents are there –“

 

The woman sighed and placed her palms flat on the empty space on her side of the table. “That’s not the point –“ she exclaimed, looking forlorn. “What about what I want? I’m London-based, I work here…” She sighed, hunching over the table. Tom let his glance fall over the surface of the table as well, feeling awful with what she’s going through. “I want to get married here…”

Wringing his fingers, wondering why on earth does she have to feel this way, the man then inquired, “And what did Gale say?”

Biting her lip and looking away, there seemed to be a bit of admiration in the girl’s eyes upon the mention of her fiancé’s name. However, the more Tom admired the way she dreamily smiled, the more the pain brought about by it dug deeper into his chest.

“Of course,” she said, parting her lips as she paused. “He tried his best… He tried to compromise, give me what I want.” She clasped her hands together, knotting her fingers around each other, as she tilted her head and tried to avoid the calculating gaze her best friend was giving her.

“He knows me,” she said with a small smile. “He knows how I wanted to get married and he gave me what I want –“ She looked up to beam at Tom, a hopeful grin that somewhat ate away at his own hope. “He says we can have a small ceremony here then we’d have the big celebration with all the pizzazz when we go back in Melbourne on my birthday…”

Nodding, seemingly looking satisfied with her contentment and her reaction to it; Tom pursed his lips and looked at her. “That seems good, everything seems all good,” he exclaimed, looking over the list once more, seeing how he was marked as “Best Man”… and a woman named Rebecca Garcia was listed as “Maid of Honor”. Looking up, he blinked twice before saying, “Everything seems fine… except that Max wasn’t happy about certain things…”

The dreamy smile on Vega’s face disappeared. “Ah,” she said exasperatedly, narrowing her dark eyes on the blonde. “That.”

Crossing his arms, it was a prompt for her to continue.

Pulling the stationary back towards her hands, Vega looked at it carefully before casting her eyes up at the man who just read them. “You see,” she started, tracing the embossed edges of the stationery. “Gale said that if I get to choose my own Best Man… he gets to choose his Maid of Honor.”

Tom found himself involuntarily clenching his jaw. “Well do I ever –“

Quickly realizing how the man may have misinterpreted what she has said, Vega started waving her hands in front of him, shaking her head. “No no, it’s not what you think,” she exclaimed, trying to erase the unhappy look on Tom’s face. “I was really planning to choose Becca in the long run,” she affirmed, running a hand through her hair. “It’s just that Max didn’t take it lightly.”

“Of course she wouldn’t take it lightly,” Tom exclaimed, shooting their usual waiter a friendly grin, before it melted into something serious. “She’s also your best friend you know.”

Vega felt like loosening a button on her shirt, clearly becoming stressed with the entire set-up.

“Becca’s my first cousin,” she exclaimed, knotting her fingers together once more, twisting it towards the man’s direction, a sign of opening up. “We grew up together, we even went to University together…” Seeing the raised eyebrows on Tom’s face, Vega nodded. “I sort of went to Australia first, and then she followed. We were basically sisters during that point in time. However, she’s basically my father’s niece.”

The man continued to listen as she continued to explain. “Gale, Becca, and me –“ she sighed. “We used to be a team, including Becca’s ex, Geoff. Gale and Becca knew the same people back in their old firm, while Geoff and I had the same major. We were all very close… till Geoff and Becca broke up.” Vega frowned, seemingly not wanting to back through the same story.

Tom tried to reach out across the table to take her hand, convince her that he does not need to know the story… but all he wanted to know was how to make it _all_ better. However, Vega found the courage to change the topic back on track.

“Becca is almost like a sister to me,” she explained, eyes tearing up a bit. “This is what I’ve been trying to explain to Maxine… if she’d only listen.”

The man then nodded, looking down as he clenched his hand in an attempt from trying to take hers.

“I’ll be the one to explain it to Max,” he spoke up. “If you would allow me.”

Vega found herself smiling despite all that. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I knew it was worth it, since I wouldn’t want anyone else to be my husband-to-be’s Best Man but you, Tom.”

As much as he felt his heart swelled with pride with how she beamed up at him, tears making those beautiful dark eyes glossy, the pride that lifted his spirits was the same knife that stabbed into him repeatedly.

“As I told you before,” he whispered. “I am completely honored.”

Vega found herself nodding, cupping her face with her hands, making it harder for Tom to stay still and not go around the table and envelop her into a hug again – just like how he held her that night after their first affair at the Almarion. But as much as she started smiling again, the beautiful expression on her face melted again as she opened her organizer and looked at the small list of attendees that included Gale’s younger brother, the man’s other cousin and a few friends, and hopefully her parents.

Seeing everything laid out in front of her eyes, Vega found herself sighing. The man who was slowly dissolving the whipped cream foam in the caramel macchiato he ordered for himself (having an affinity for it now, ever since the day he and Vega swapped orders for fun) turned to watch her struggle with the internal conflict about the entire situation.

“You don’t seem to be sold on this, sissy.”

Vega found herself covering her face again. “It’s a small wedding,” she whispered, clearly indicating she wanted the opposite. “But it’s okay,” she spoke, clearly trying to assure herself. “I’ll get my big wedding in Melbourne. And it’s all that matters… that I’d be with him.” Vega sighed once more, covering her mouth… only to find Tom trying to peer into her eyes.

“Is this what you really want, sissy?”

The woman brought her hands down and nodded at him, not hearing how his heart sank down into his stomach, dissolving it with the way she gaily said yes with her head. “Of course,” she whispered.

“Well then,” he exclaimed, crossing his arms. “Where is Gale in all of this?”

You couldn’t erase the sound of disdain in Tom’s voice.

“Excuse me?” Vega exclaimed, raising an eyebrow and defensively, her voice at her best friend. “Of course he’s in this – he’s my fiancé!”

Tom mirrored her expression and looked around. “Leave you planning all alone? He must be very busy –“ the passive-aggressiveness in his voice was imminent.

The woman sighed as she wondered what was making her best friend sound so cynical. Chucking out all the obvious reasons in her head and thinking about the actual matter in hand, Vega answered as-a-matter-of-factly, “Gale tries to have himself involved in the decision making in all of this, though he prefers to have me handle the rest of the arrangements while he shoulders all the expenses –“

She completely ignored the way he parted his lips in some sort of disagreement.

“—and the fact that he’s trying to seal this agreement with a client for the Hugo-Hartinsson project and that Leadership Training Seminar, means he would try to be with me but not all the time,” she said through gritted teeth as she arranged a blue post it as she moved it from one page to another.

She was about to transfer another post-it to another page, when she found a long pair of fingers enclosing her hand, as she looked up to find Tom looking directly at her, the fury almost transparent in his face albeit his attempt to try and console his _sister_ and try to make her feel better despite the arrangements.

“Are you okay with this?” The graveness in Tom’s voice was imminent.

Vega found herself evading those intense blue eyes as she looked away, nodding.

“Sissy,” he said affectionately as he closed the organizer, just when she started to nervously play with the edges of its pages. “ **You _cannot_ settle for less.** ”

The woman looked away, her eyes tearing up again, shaking her head. “I’ll be fine,” she said, trying to hold back her tears just so Tom wouldn’t have a reason to worry about her even further. The fact that he was there actually worrying about her and he was witness to her breaking down because of the pressure, was enough for Vega to know that at this point, Tom knows her inside out enough for her to try and hide the fact that she was horribly _unhappy_. “I’ll be fine, though I could use a little bit of help once in a while…”

To her surprise, Tom took her other hand and clasped it… as the frustration and seriousness in his eyes slowly melted into that smile that somewhat set Vega’s heart at peace when she sees it.

“As your groom’s Best Man and your best friend,” he exclaimed. “It will be my honor to step in.”

She smiled as she looked down, returning the gesture of tightening her hold onto his own hands, despite being dwarfed by it, she looked up to find Tom unclasping hers to wipe away a tear she did not expect to fall upon her cheek.

Trying to change the mood, Tom opened her organizer again, subtly plucking a particular pink stationary off a page – a stationary that had all the expensive names of designers around town. The man then furrowed his eyebrows and gently shoved his arms and hers out of the way, his hand still clasped around hers as he took a better look at the organizer.

“Oh,” Vega exclaimed, brushing off another unwanted tear, as she pointed at the pictures scattered on the page where Tom picked out the pink post it note. “Those are some designs I’m considering for the service –“

“But these are cocktail dresses,” the disappointment and bewilderment in Tom’s voice could not be ignored.

“I don’t have a huge budget for it and I don’t want him to cover this, so I’m probably going to settle for something knee-length and get the high budget long gown for the Melbourne Wedding –“

The man shook his head. “Vega, _it’s your wedding_. Don’t hold back now! Haven’t you told me that this is everything you ever wanted?” _But still that wasn’t what you said that night…_ The woman nodded and he had to gulp, pretending that she just said yes to his mental question.

Suddenly finding his resolve, upon seeing that hopeful smile on her face, the man slammed her organizer shut and said, “I know the best place for that dream dress of yours.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

An hour later, Vega found herself standing in front of a familiar-looking studio in the Couture District where she stood about two years ago with a fizzy red-haired woman. But this time around, she was flanked by a tall six-footer who had this smile on his face as if he was about to enter Charlie’s Chocolate Factory.

Ringing the bell at the door, it opened to reveal that red-haired woman Vega was trying to remember from two years ago, causing her to silently palm her face, suddenly realizing that Tom was true to his threat.

“Oh my God!” Reba Trenton, the designer who provided Vega with that classically haunting blue dress greeted them at the door, her green eyes first falling at the tall man who beamed at her upon accepting her greeting. “Thomas!”

Throwing her arms around the man’s neck who chuckled slightly ashe gave his old friend a long hug, Tom eventually released her from the adoring embrace, openly admiring the woman’s now short hair that brought out the curls of her frizz. “I love what you did with your hair,” Tom exclaimed, pointing sheepishly at it.

“Really?” she said, giggling. “You better convince Marty about it. He hates it short.” Turning around to see whom Tom had brought along, she was in the middle of muttering, “So who do we have here –“ When Vega found herself subtly raising her head from her hand cupping her face, smiling bashfully at the designer whom she met before… causing the woman to gasp upon recognizing who she is.

“Is that –“ Reba exclaimed, covering her mouth, causing Vega to completely unveil her face… despite looking much different from the mousy-looking girl with the long hair and the spectacled look from two years ago. “ _Vega?!!_ ”

Grimacing, ignoring the adoring wall standing beside her that happened to be her tall buddy looking adorably at her, Vega shrugged her open arms, letting her small purse dangle to the side and said, “Well… it’s been a while?” She couldn’t believe that Reba could remember her after those years, considering that she thought that maybe the designer saw her as some sort of an acquaintance to Tom or something –

To her surprise, the woman looked from the tall thespian to her, and covered her mouth – before taking her into a hug, that rendered Vega completely speechless. It didn’t help how she saw her best-friend pocket his hands, swaying on his feet as he was witness to the entire little reunion that was his own doing… considering that he was the reason why the two women met in the first place.

But as much as it was a twist of fate, Tom realized how much of a coincidence that they were there right now, considering the next question Reba asks.

“Why on earth are we standing on the threshold, talking like this? Come in, come in!” She said with a sunny smile, beckoning the two inside her studio parlor.

Vega found herself stepping in a familiar territory as Tom and his old friend continued chatting as they took their places in the parlor, seeing the cozy-looking studio that was littered with mannequins displaying the trendiest designs in London, from the most formal occasions to the snazziest dresses you wouldn’t usually see on a common girl in public. However, when she dared to take a second look – these weren’t the sequined-styled, red-carpet dresses Reba used to design for celebrities and personalities two years ago… she looked around and found herself in a booth in the Wedding Open House, as if she was stuck in Bridal Wonderland.

“What brings you both here?” Reba then shattered Vega’s concentration upon looking around the white dresses, only to find herself standing in the middle of the parlor.

Lips parted, she then turned to the man who was already seated, unable to gauge or explain the pleased yet teasing smile on Reba’s face. It didn’t help how Tom blushed, seemingly understanding the silent body language conveyed by his old ginger friend, making Vega realize that there seems to be a quiet conversation or a mutual understanding in the room that didn’t include her.

“You see,” Tom started, a small _ehe_ escaping his lips. “Vega here is getting married.”

It didn’t help at all when Reba gasped and got up her feet, running over to the girl to hug her once more, making Vega realize that maybe just maybe – the combination of the hyperactivity and the red hair made her miss Lila more.

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” she exclaimed, completely filled with bliss. She turned to the man who was then now looking down, unable to erase the smile on his face. “Why didn’t you _two tell me?!_ ”

That’s when Vega felt her smile freeze over, as she saw Tom lift his blue eyes from the floor, meeting with hers.

“No it’s not what you think –“

“You should have come to me,” Reba continued, ignoring Vega’s babbling as Tom sat there, completely bemused with the situation, straining to speak although he did remain speechless. “I would have probably created a dress for you in a jiffy –“

“No but really Reba –“

“—finest dress in London! I wasn’t crowned Best Newcomer in last year’s Bridal Convention for nothing,” the redhead continued as she circled the smaller woman.

“It’s true,” Tom found his words, smiling sheepishly as he adoringly watched Vega looking at Reba circling her like a hawk, as she played nervously with her black opal ring, trying to get her message across. “She is now one of the most sought after designers in London.”

The ginger woman could not be silenced as she looked up back at the Asian girl, holding her face in her hands, adoringly – just like the way her best-friend gazed at her. “Miss Vega,” she started. “I would have had a design done for you in a jiffy – If only I knew that you were betrothed to the finest man in London –“

Finding her chance to speak with air building up in her lungs, burning her chest, the woman managed to clear her throat. “You mean the finest man in Melbourne –“

Reba blinked. “Right,” she subtly turned to glance at Tom who just raised his eyebrows as if an indication for the older woman to shut her trap. “The finest man in Melbourne…”

Linking the woman’s arm in hers, Reba asked, “Who’s the lucky guy then?”

Vega smiled, a whole new brightness showing in her face, causing Tom’s smile to melt. “He’s an old friend, I would say,” she started in that dreamy tone, those dark eyes shining as she looked up at the romantic-looking woman who listened to her every word. “We’ve been together for quite a long while and he decided that we’d tie the knot here in London, and…”

But as she spoke, somewhat her voice droned and the words disappeared in Tom’s mind, as he managed to blur out whatever she had to say about her precious Gale, and he just listened to her body movements, the way her mouth moved, the way her lips formed those adoring words she used to describe her fiancé. Blurring out her words in his head just so not to restart that sharp pain digging in his chest, he decided to pretend for once in his mind, that she was talking about someone else… _someone still dear to her…_

“And Tom here is so much of a gentleman to be my Best Man,” she gestured affectionately, her eyes shining as she looked at him.

“That’s Thomas,” Reba said proudly. “As fierce as a lion, but as loyal as a puppy dog… That’s how we used to tease him.”

He found himself rolling his eyes at his old friend as he leaned back at the satin-covered couch he was sitting on, waving a hand at Reba, sort of dismissing her.

Vega wrinkled her nose and exclaimed, “The loyalty part I’d like to disagree –“

“Oh hush,” Reba said, patting her hand. “At least your loyal puppy dog Best Man managed to drag you to the finest designer in London?” She said with a bright smile.

“Careful,” Tom teased, growling a bit. “The puppy dog bites.”

The two girls giggled, causing the man to smile. “So, shall we try on some dresses?” Reba said in an inviting tone.

Vega’s eyes gleamed. “Yes, please!”

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

“What do you think?”

Vega stood there in this beautiful pleated cocktail dress, assisted by Reba and at least two of her assistants, who were holding a few white dresses at the ready. Tom would often enter the dressing display area when Vega would call for him, asking for his opinion, although he preferred to stay out in the other room – the parlor, where he mindlessly played with his games on his phone, trying to be gentlemanly not to peek at the woman dressing up, or at least looking eager to see her in different kinds of gorgeous ensembles that reminded him of the effect she had on him that night he first saw her donned in that blue dress.

“I think this is a bit too plain for a Wedding Service,” Reba spoke, reflecting the decisions Vega would probably make, given the fact she had already discussed her intentions and her plans with her designer. “If you’re attending a Wedding Dress Rehearsal, this will do. But if you’re the bride –“ She turns to the absent-minded Tom who was obviously trying hard not to be distracted and said, “Thomas, what do you think?”

He dared to look at his beaming best friend, trying hard not to get distracted with how the laced straps clung to her small shoulders. As much as he had the guts to say yes to be her Groom’s Best Man, Tom swore that he will remember every day how he died on her Wedding Day – with Vega looking _just_ exactly like that.

“Well,” the man spoke up, approaching one of the tall assistants whose head reached his jaw, as he ran a finger across the gold tinted strap of the off-shoulder that had a small chest-window that only emphasized her gifted chest even more, and thinking about this made the man swallow a lump in his throat. “I do prefer this off-shoulder one, Vey…”

Vega shrugged and moved towards it, making Tom realized how he’s breaking at a cold sweat, with how the woman’s skirt brushed against his jeans.

“Yeah,” the youngest woman in the room exclaimed, tilting her head to look at the dress her male best-friend was referring too. “But I—“ she suddenly took her shoes off and looked at her other choice, a beautiful lace-covered shoulder with an A-Cut silk-laid dress that reached her knees and cocooned her in a glorious fashion. “I’ve got to try this again and maybe this will be my last choice.”

Reba shrugged as Tom nodded, trying not to look at her as she disappeared once more in the dressing rooms, only to emerge with her hair drawn back a bit with a clip, her shoulders covered with white lace, and her figure being gloriously accented with that tightly wound silk all over her curves, causing Tom to silently suck in his breath when she emerged from the violet curtains of the back rooms.

“What do you think?”

Reba sighed, putting her hands together. “Oh darling girl,” she exclaimed. “It’s perfect –“

Tom just couldn’t look at her. The way she stood there, holding her white heels as she tried to stand on her feet, beaming at her friends, dressed in the outfit she would be married in. The way she glowed was too much for him to bear, like he was forced to approach the sun without the suit that would save him from burning into a lovely crisp. But as he dared to turn his eyes to look at her, the man just didn’t know what came out of his mouth in his attempt to stop gaping at the way she looked –

“Why are you holding back, Vega?”

The woman blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

The man who fidgeted and moved about the parlor, pocketing and unpocketing his hands was far from the cool, composed, and witty actor who literally dismissed the press and told off his abusive fans in public after putting him in the corner.

“I mean –“ Tom gritted his teeth. “Why choose a dress? Just a cocktail dress?”

Vega winced. “What are you trying to say –“

“You’re getting married, for God’s sake! Stop holding back, sissy!” Even Tom couldn’t understand what was coming out of his mouth. “You’re in the Fashion District, in the Studio of one of the most-renowned designers in London, and you want to just try on a cocktail dress? Vega, just for once – try to go for something… a little bit more.” The man looked at the woman who glanced at him as if he was a two year old child trying to communicate to his mother that he wanted a lolly.

“This studio is filled with the most beautiful gowns I have ever seen in a collection,” The man who was too articulate in interviews struggled hard to explain himself. “After all, at least you would have an idea of what you would want to get once you hold your big wedding in Melbourne. Don’t embarrass my good friend, Reba; and try at least one gown.”

The redhead who had her beautiful ginger hair tied up with glasses now perched on her nose nodded. “I’d definitely have the honor for you to try one of my masterpieces, Vega.”

Looking back at the tall woman and her best-friend, ignoring the non-plussed expressions on the assistant’s faces (albeit one of them was blushing around the well-known thespian), Vega found herself shrugging before saying, “Alright. Bring it on then.”

That was the cue that Tom had to take to leave the dressing room and stay in the parlor.

There is no way in hell he’d leave Vega behind, after all – going to Reba’s Bridal Couture Shop was his idea. But still, the thought of seeing her in those breathtaking gowns that often made the groom’s head spin once he saw his bride was too much for Tom to bear. As much as he is the Best Man and it isn’t really good practice for one of the men in the entourage to see the woman’s dress, he stayed in the parlor looking over messages from Luke and Fred’s teasing texts about him finding love again… In fact, the man was literally desperate to get him out of his unnoticeable depression cycle (that was only clearly visible to the new couple – Fred and Max), that he suggested of Tom going back to his black book again.

But as he politely declined his friend’s offer, Tom found himself sighing upon realizing that there was no way he would be able to even focus on another woman (even naked on his bed), when a breathtaking young woman he just can’t get over with was trying on the most beautiful wedding gowns on the planet in the other room.

Trying to distract himself from such thoughts, he decided to listen to some music while looking at the men’s suits his designer friend has out on display – till Reba emerged from the dressing area, as she attempted to catch his attention.

“Come on!” she waved to him, inciting her to get off his seat.

Pulling off his earphones as he allowed himself to be led back into the dressing area, he saw several gowns out of their hangers placed on the chairs where Reba and him were sitting on earlier when Vega was still twirling about in the cocktail dresses, suddenly causing a hot surge to come up his throat.

“Reba, wait –“ he exclaimed, wincing.

The woman in the printed dress and the accented baubles around her neck stopped, halting the sound of heels in the room, turning around as she raised a sharp-looking eyebrow at her old friend, seeing how Tom clenched and unclenched his hands, unable to take another step. “What’s wrong, Thomas?” she inquired, a bit of confusion in her voice.

“I-I’m the Best Man,” he called out, looking completely unsure, much to the confusion and chagrin of the ginger. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for any male in the entourage to see the bride in a potential Wedding Gown –“

Tutting, Reba spoke as-a-matter-of-factly, “And yet you act like the Maid of Honor, finding time in your busy schedule to go and help her find a dress. And to think that Marty and I were trying to invite you over for lunch after that little fatigue breakdown of yours!”

Tom winced even more.

“Now stop acting like a superstitious old male spinster and come over here,” she said, wrapping her arms around his big wrist. “Vega called for you.”

Not even sure if it was his heart trying to jump out of his throat, he found himself being dragged in the dressing display area once more. But what he saw – Vega drawing back a beautiful white opaque veil filled with a dozen laced white roses, as she sat on the floor with the beautiful ballooning skirt that went past her ankles and was spread all over the area, looking up at him as if she was an incognito princess waiting for a footman to come take her up in her pumpkin coach.

It didn’t help how his chest burned when she rose to her feet, giving him a full glimpse of the dress. It made her look even taller, even with her white heels on. It had a V-neck collar, complimenting the swell of her chest, and the whiteness of the gown allowed him to even appreciate the complexion of her skin that didn’t make her too pale or too fleshed out… making her seem even more exotic when he first took notice of her. Her shoulders were even more emphasized with these silver ornaments that were clipped on the edges of the dress, with its silver chain cris-crossing across her chest, giving her the impression of a goddess…

“What do you think?” Vega asked her Best Man, with those big brown doe eyes questioning him in the same manner.

Reba pursed her lips, but was looking pleased. “Give us a spin first, darling,” she exclaimed, causing the woman in the wonderful wedding gown to smile and nod. Turning on her heels, she held on to the long veil that went past her shoulders as she tipped on her toes and started spinning around on the spot, making the bride-to-be even more mesmerizing.

By the time she was done, she turned to look at her Best Man… who looked at her as if he saw nothing else – as if time stopped… and the clocks would never move again.

“Tom –“

Reba had to snap a finger in front of the man’s face to induce him out of his trance, causing the man to blink his eyes rapidly, looking at his designer friend as if he woke up from a dream. It didn’t help at all how Reba looked like a cross between annoyed and amused, a smirk playing on the edge of her lip.

“Thomas,” she said, bending her head closer to her friend. “Vega’s talking to you.”

He turned towards the godly apparition again, who was now looking at him as if he was either insane or sick. Or maybe he just imagined that maybe she’s worried. However, Vega didn’t have to repeat her question, as all he had to say was –

“Breathtaking.”

Vega felt like frowning, but his answer was everything she needed to hear. Letting go of her veil, it fell on her face as she lifted the gown, showing her feet with the heels on as she attempted to step off the raised podium where she was standing on, surrounded by mirrors. “That’s it,” she said, gently unpinning the veil from her head, still ignoring the way Tom’s mindless gaze followed her around the room. “I’m getting this off.”

Reba frowned, seemingly a bit offended. “You don’t like it?” she asked, a bit of disappointment in her voice.

“No,” Vega said with a sigh. “I _love_ it. I love it too much; it has to get off me.”

Helping her gather her skirt up, Reba was wearing a frown. “Why don’t you get it? This is one of my finest designs, almost came first place in last month’s competition. After all, among all of the gowns you’ve tried, this is the one that suits you best…”

Vega ignored the way her best-friend stood there, clearly unnoticed, as he crossed his arms and seemingly hugged himself, as he painfully tore his eyes away from her, noticing how he must have been staring at her like a codfish with his mouth open.

“Oh Reba,” she uttered, trying to find the best ways to explain how she lacked the budget to purchase it, even with the fact that’s he had already fallen in love with the gown – enough to take it off, send it away, and have it packed away where she couldn’t see it… _like what she often does to things she truly love but cannot have due to various circumstances_. “I’d probably… I don’t know. Come back for it?”

“Suit yourself,” the woman said as she gathered the fallen veil on the floor as she smiled at Vega, turning around to subtly wink at the man who was red in the cheeks, trying to compose himself in the corner.

 

 

***

 

“Oh Reba,” Vega spoke, having taken her chosen cocktail dress with the laced shoulders and the silken-pleated design in a fashionable dress bag with the Trenton named embroidered in it. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

Touching the woman on the shoulder, Reba said, “How about you wear that dress with pride and send me pictures of your wedding service? I could use more recommendations to other brides, you know.”

The woman smiled as she stood at the outer parlor, as her Best Man stood behind her, playing with the edge of a waistcoat that was displayed on one of the mannequins. Vega found herself clad in the dressed-down style of her jeans and plaid shirt, as she held the Trenton tote bag close to her chest, carrying the treasure inside that would be the apex of her London days.

“Thank you again,” Vega affirmed her, a genuine smile on her face as she held Reba’s hand once more.

Giving her back a grin of the same degree of happiness, Vega released her hand. However, before she could say anything, Reba beckoned to one of the assistants who was standing behind the reception of the parlor, who then emerged with another Trenton tote bag. “Before you go,” the Bridal Designer spoke, taking another dress bag from the mousy-looking brunette. “I want you to have this.”

“Reba –“

Vega was cut short when she took a glance at the bag, taking it from the woman. “This is – This –“ she couldn’t find the words to say when she unzipped the bag and pulled out the dress, its long flowing white material was accented with the silver accents on the shoulders, hanging down its V-necked opening. Completely beside herself with shock, Vega stared at it for a few moments as she held it from the bag, before the woman in front of her had to gently tuck it back in, so not to further unravel the gown from how it was neatly positioned and folded. The man standing behind her turned around to see what the commotion was about.

“I can’t –“ Vega muttered, clenching her hands as she handed back the bag. “I can’t accept this Reba –“

The woman clucked her tongue once more, like what she was doing to her best friend earlier. “Oh but Vega, you have to –“

The girl shook her head once more. “It’s too much –“

The ginger-headed woman tilted her head and smiled, saying, “It’s a gift.”

Covering her mouth, Vega almost dropped the dress bag in her arms as she moved forward to hug Reba, uttering the words “Oh my God” and “Thank you, thank you so much” – to her surprise, the designer just stepped back and shook her head, rendering Vega frozen in her spot… as the realization dawned upon her about who was really behind that beautiful wedding gown that was being given to her.

“ ** _THOMAS!!!_** ” she bellowed, causing the man behind her to almost knock down the mannequin whose suit he was messing around with.

“What?! Wha –“

The younger woman mechanically turned around, as she was wearing the expression he was half-expecting – a glare affixed on her face with a fire in her eyes as she looked up at the tall man, jaw clenched.

“You can’t –“

Placing his hands together, a small _ehe_ escaping his lips, Tom found himself running his hands through his hair again – what he often does when he’s nervous and sort of cornered… like what his little best friend was currently doing to him. “Come on sissy,” he reasoned out, putting on a sheepish smile, his eyes disappearing as he grinned. “Please let this be my wedding gift to you –“

To his surprise, Vega raised her hands and brought them down in a fast movement, almost flinging away the cocktail dress she was holding. “You can’t keep doing this, Thomas! You’ve got to stop!” she pleaded, as the smile on his face melted, somewhat disappointed with what she had to say… and being completely figured out of his fondness of providing her gifts without her knowing. “You’ve got to stop, Tom!”

The voice that came out of him as small and squeakish, something not expected of a man of his acting prowess. “But… why?”

The woman standing in front of him, in all her glory despite only being dressed casually and putting on a few inches with her heels, glowered up at him as if he was insane. But seeing the crestfallen expression on her best friend’s face, it was enough for Vega to retract the frustration on her face, making her realize that maybe she must have aired her disdain and concern about the man’s endless gift giving in a harsh manner. “You’ve got to stop,” she muttered, looking away. “You’re breaking my heart –“

The man parted his lips and raised an eyebrow, still unable to erase the worry on his face. Not to mention the sudden confusion with the words she just dropped…

However, the woman found herself biting her lip, somewhat finding herself unable to complete the sentence, before she returned her gaze at the man, eyes seemingly pleading. “I don’t – I can’t make it up to you anymore if you keep on doing this,” she said, placing a hand on her hip, hand holding the cocktail dress Trenton Bag, as Reba stood there, looking on as the two conversed. “I just –“

Tom suddenly moved forward and gripped her shoulders, blue eyes bearing down hers. “You don’t need to make it up to me, sissy,” he said softly, albeit saying the term of endearment with hidden bitterness. “All you need to do is –“

He closed his eyes.

_Love me back._

“…Just do not forget me or leave me behind.”

He opened his eyes to find Vega looking at him, lips parted, as if he was insane. It didn’t make it any comfortable for him at all when she did a gesture as if she was backing away from his presence, making him wonder if he said something wrong – when it is nothing but the truth. This was all she could give him – he could give up on hoping, give up on waiting, knowing that with how she’s already one step into that blissful marriage, considering her enthusiasm and her longing for it.

And he feels how she somewhat is clinging on to him like a comfort blanket, but still managing to put him on the back burner by making him her Best Man… As much as this kind of pain would have been enough for him to hate her, he knew she couldn’t be doing this on purpose… How else can the sweet and overtly honest Vega do this to him? But then he remembers what she said that night and realizes that maybe she isn’t being as honest as he wished she could be…

The way she suddenly wrinkled her nose snapped him out of his racing thoughts as Vega unceremoniously brushed off one of his hands on her shoulders, making him realize that maybe he’s holding on to her heavily – but to his surprise, she suddenly gripped one big hand, and looked into his eyes, disbelief on her face.

“Listen to yourself!” she glowered, despite the tender glare on her face. “Just listen to yourself!”

The man found himself looking down.

“How can I leave you?” she spoke, soft enough – but the intensity of her tone rising at the end of the sentence. “You’re my best-friend, Tom.” The way she said it assuringly was enough to calm down that raging pain thudding in his chest.

“I’ll be your best-friend forever!” she said with a bit of a laugh, knowing how impossible it seems – yet it sounds so true in their heads. “I’m not going anywhere.”

They didn’t notice how Reba smiled and placed a hand on her chest, watching the two having quite a moment. And considering the way Tom beamed upon hearing her words, it was enough to convince the woman that he was truly happy – at least for that moment.

Vega reiterated her statement, her thumb gently moving across the back of his hand, with her fingers still lovingly gripping his palm. “I’m not going anywhere…”

 _But your heart is going away from me_ , he sadly thought, despite the gentle smile on his face, and the tears he has forbidden to fall. _Even if I know what it is truly needs right now…_

 

 

 

***

 

 

**_[Entry # 48] Bridal Fanfare *hums Wedding March*_ **

 

_It was too much for me to ask for Westwood or De La Renta. Trenton is all I need._

_Mrs. Reba Trenton-Harley has this beautiful little Couture Studio in the Fashion District that I visited with my best-friend. Mind you, they’d make a perfect Maid of Honor. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have met the equally wonderful and talented Reba._

_Now I have been given the opportunity to choose among these various Bridal Themes for my very limited number of Bridesmaids –_

_[Inserted picture of a beautiful lavender and blue lace ensemble with gold tints woven into a tube-style top with wonderful pleats at the bottom, hemmed with a dark violet lace]_

 

_Now I am torn between this Lavender-ish ensemble –_

_[Inserted picture of an emerald high neck dress with gold edges, accented by black lace]_

_And this sultry Green theme that would definitely make Gale smile, considering he’s a big fan of that particular color scheme._

_Which one to settle for?_

_Any suggestions?_

_Oh, you’re asking about the dress you say?_

_Well, it is a small service, so I decided to have myself choose this beautiful laced-shoulder ensemble that has a chemise underneath and this wonderful flowing dress that made me rethink of doing various rounds at the gym if I’m going to wear this in front of an attendance of ten to fifteen people –_

_[Inserted half-shot of the cocktail dress she chose at the parlor earlier that day, highlighting the beautiful floral lace design on the upper area, as it was laid out on a hotel’s wide couch]_

_But then, that’s only the tip of the iceberg._

_I happened to have a very generous sponsor – more like a very generous best-friend who got me this for the Big Thing:_

_[Sneak Peek shot of parts of the floral veil, the central shot of where the ballooning skirt made of the finest white fabric, and a close-up of the silver claspings on the shoulders about the V-neck collar]_

_What is this you say?_

_It’s a secret!_

_And a surprise! <3_

_Thank you Bro. I owe you so much._

 

 

Vega swore she couldn’t wait another day. While waiting for her fiancé to come home from a Board Meeting, she had dinner ordered to be wheeled in once he arrives. But as she waits, she was all up in her Macbook, typing, posting, and teasing her readers with peeks at her little trip to Reba Trenton’s Bridal Couture Shop.

She was surprised, that after an hour and a half – just when she checked after sharing a cheesecake dinner with Gale, she saw that she probably had several comments waiting for her.

 

_ 8 COMMENTS _

_PartyGirl06 – Wow! Congratulations! Those are such pretty dresses!_

_Plantera – Those are gorgeous. Ever tried Vera Ellen Wang? She’s well-sought, she may be a tad expensive. I am exaggerating._

_Guest1 – So pretty! I wish I’d be as lucky as you!_

_…_

_[READ MORE COMMENTS]_

 

Vega was on the couch licking cream off her spoon while her boyfriend got ready for his shower, as she skimmed through the comments – smiling once in a while whenever she saw someone who congratulated her or said “Finally!”, considering that she had been raving (and half ranting) about wanting to get married on that blog for almost half a year now.

But that’s when she saw it.

 

                _TragicAnon1 – I hope you are truly happy, Miss Star._

 

Placing her spoon down and frowning, the woman found herself dumping the iPad on the couch, before moving towards the table where her Macbook was stationed, flipping it open.

She tried to trace who it was.

She tried to figure out who this suspicious Tragic Anon 1 whose melancholy tone just gave her the shivers, both the good and the bad kind.

But what drove Vega insane was the fact that she felt like she know who this Tragic Anon was…

She had to open up her blog counter statistics database, only to find out that it couldn’t help – since most of the blog’s visitors where from the same place – the UK.

She tried tracing the exact details of the Anon’s IP address, but what is she to know? She wasn’t that versed in backend investigation… Maybe if she had the help of some of the boys in IT back in Way, she’d have a chance of trying to pinpoint at least TA1’s location on the map. But of course, this was a personal matter and she couldn’t just drag them in to satisfy this little curiosity of hers…

Bringing down the monitor and snapping the Macbook Shut, Vega found herself glaring in front of her reflection on the mirror in front of the Hotel Suite table, as she counted the wrinkles that appeared on her forehead in her feeble attempt to dig information on a very random thing that happened to occur on the most obscure public sounding board she could create.

 _Who cares_ , Vega sighed, rolling her eyes as she stood up, thinking of surprising her man and joining him in the shower just to get rid of the tension. _Curiosity might kill the cat anyway._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason, I was listening to Kylie Minogue’s “Love at First Sight” (I blame Kuon for this one.) when writing that part when Vega was trying on the Bridal Dresses. Just imagine her spinning around in that wonderful white dress with her in Thain’s arms… OKAY, NEVERMIND! THAT WAS TOO MUSHY.


	48. The Star, The Prince, and The Drama King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom, Fred, and the girls are invited to a special afternoon tea set by Vega -- where she finally introduces her fiancé. What happens when Thain finally comes face to face with the man Aeoren will marry?

_She found herself staring at his tall gait, all dressed up – just for her._

_He had that short hair gelled back, his golden tie neatly tucked into his brown waistcoat that complimented his tan and the whiteness of his finest dress shirt. He even has this tuxedo-style blazer hung upon his person, making his shoulders look broader as he stood confidently in front of her, a small smirk playing on his thin lips as his height somewhat scaled the door. He glanced down at how she was completely dolled up and prepared in front of him… not yet holding the bouquet she is supposed to be carrying before going down the aisle._

_She on the other hand, stood in front of him, cheeks all a-blush as she was clad in that wonderful Trenton-designed wedding gown that trails down her feet, the deep-v of the collar accenting the cleavage you thought she never had. But despite the beauty Vega never noticed (or cherished) completely made her more than just a bride that day – there was a kind of upset painted on her face as she glared at the man who held his hands in front of her._

_“Sebastian Gale!” she said forebodingly, causing the man to wrinkle his mouth leftwards, seemingly reacting as if he was caught stealing muffins off the buffet tray. “You’re not supposed to be here!”_

_She held on to her veil, with the beautiful tiny circlet that was perched on her head to hold it down, as she gathered her skirt around, stepping in those little silver heels she borrowed from her cousin towards the man. “You’re not even supposed to see me!” she said through gritted teeth, hissing at the sandy-haired man who just covered his mouth and snickered a bit. “What can you say for yourself, sir?!”_

_The smile the man wore was exquisite. It was different from the day he appeared in her shared flat with three friends in Melbourne, wanting to talk to her again – And yet it was still different from the day they decided to be together once more. The smile had a certain sunshine that brought about Gale’s smugness and his own brand of gentleness as he looked at the bride. “You look beautiful,” he exclaimed, his voice sounding silky and sincere._

_Vega looked away, the blush on her cheeks imminent. “Thank you,” she uttered softly. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”_

_He chuckled, much to the woman’s disdain – wondering why he’d be all this cheery at a time when he shouldn’t be seeing her. She was about to retort against him, when to her surprise, the man took her hand._

_“I know –” he started, biting his lip. “I know things haven’t been that clear or ironed out between us, and I may have neglected you a tad, and I apologize for it.”_

_The girl found herself curling her lip, placing her gloved hands together in a demure manner, seemingly listening to the man, at the same time refusing to yield to his advances. But considering the sweet smile on Gale’s face and his completely sincerity, Vega knew she was ready to forgive him._

_“I’m just happy that you turned up today,” he said gently, taking her hand._

_The woman looked up at him and gasped to find him kissing her covered knuckles. “Thank you too,” she whispered, a smile adorning her face, completely making him see how happy she was that day. That one day she considered to be hers._

_“I understand how this day matters to you, and I will make sure that it goes smoothly for us…” He gently squints as he lifts the girl’s chin with the crook of his finger, causing her to look in those glass-green eyes. “Oh Vega,” he sighed, whistling low._

_“What?” she asked, lips looking even pouty than ever with the lip-gloss applied by Max earlier._

_“It’s just you look so beautiful when you’re in love,” Gale said chuckling, his laugh never sounding that gleeful as before. Vega found herself looking down and grinning herself before being kissed on the cheek by the man. “I’ll see you at the altar, yes?”_

_The girl parted her lips and nodded. “Yes.”_

_Gale then playfully nudged her cheek with a knuckle, before turning around and walking down the empty hall, leaving the bride to close the door._

_It was perfect._

_It was everything Vega has ever wanted._

_Everything, except the fact that she can barely see through that thick-laced veil._

_She felt herself encircle her father’s arm tighter as she made her march down the aisle with the music and the silence sounding nothing but beautiful._

_Even with her veil down, she can feel the smiles on every person in the room – and when she meant everyone – **everyone** was present. It was the wedding she dreamed of and everyone whom she wanted to be the witness of it was there. No short lists, no limits, it was just perfect. So perfect, she swore she can hear her Godmother Aunt and Lisbeth sniffling somewhere in the room. It was a shame she can barely see through that blasted veil, but it was enough._

_She was getting married, and it was enough._

_Just when she thought she’d trip on those high borrowed heels, she felt the march stop in front of the altar, as she could hear the smile from her proud father’s voice as he talked to her groom. To make things even more exciting for Vega, she could feel the loving way her husband-to-be enclosed his hands around hers… securing her and keeping her safe even though she can barely see._

_Turning her to him, her father raised the veil and Vega caught a glimpse of the entire hall, filled with proud and happy smiles, as her father – who barely even cried in his entire life was brimming with tears as he kissed her cheek, before turning her over to her groom –_

_\--causing her heart to skip a beat._

_The first person she actually laid her eyes on was the sandy haired man whom she was talking to earlier: Gale. He was wearing the same proud smile as her father, but he stood at a distance from her…_

_As he was standing behind the actual groom._

_What made her breath hitch was the fact the fact that her husband-to-be looked breathtaking with that tuxedo-style suit, the same gold-tinted tie his Best Man was wearing that complimented the sunny golden shine of his hair… But what took her breath away, causing her to smile was the way he looked at her so fondly with those deep blue eyes she swore she could stare into forever… as he parted his lips, completely taken aback by her vision in that gown._

_“Oh Vega,” She knew it had to be Thomas by the way his voice sounded, just like honey slipping down her tongue. “You’re so beautiful.”_

_The way he said it was music to her ears, causing her own eyes to well up as he held her face with his own gloved hands, as white as her own… brushing her cheek gently as he wiped away a tear. “Today is not a day for tears, my darling,” he whispered to her, as they took their places in front of the minister. “You need not cry because today is the day you finally say you love me.”_

_Vega sighs as she tightens her hand around his arm. “I’m crying tears of joy, love,” she whispered, before she saw the most beautiful smile spread across his face, as he gently leaned down to capture her lips with his –_

**RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!**

 

Vega bolted up awake, eyes wider than saucers as she grabbed her phone from the hotel room nightstand, ignoring the way Gale groaned and turned to his side, mumbling something about turning off the alarm of her phone when it’s a weekend –

She mumbled sorry, as she absent-mindedly pounded the wrong buttons on the touch-screen, ignoring the way her fiancé groaned, falling back in slumber.

As he began to snore once more, Vega found herself wide awake – staring into space as early as 6am.

But as much as she wanted to go back to sleep, she couldn’t do so. The dream she had was so powerful, to a point that it even seemed real while she was going through it, she was half-afraid and half-elated that she wouldn’t wake up. But that’s what making her wonder… why she is even elated… And _why would she even dream of something like that…_

It didn’t help that the way Tom said that she was “beautiful” in that wedding dress sounded exactly like how it escaped his mouth the day before…

 

 

 

***

 

 

“What?! You got to talk to her mom –“

“Well,” Tom said as-a-matter-of-factly, raising his eyebrows, acting as sassy as ever. “Of course! Her mom was on Skype asking for the most well-mannered man in the room –“

Vega found herself rolling her eyes as she tossed a pen aside, having it bounce off the surface of the table, almost hitting Max in the face. “Come on,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “Do you even believe this guy?!” Wrinkling her nose with the way Tom stuck his nose up like some boarding school boy who just proved he had the more expensive watch in the troupe, Vega shook her head and said, “Would you even believe this bastard who said that he got three bridesmaids asking for his autograph during the last wedding he’d been to –“

Max stuck her tongue out at the only guy in the group, with Mari sitting beside her, snickering. “Please shut up, Thomas,” Maxine hissed. “First off, they were a bunch of Hiddlestoners – or whatever you call your groupies – and that’s what you call cheating!”

Tom stuck his tongue back at the woman, with his best-friend sitting beside him now palming her face with her hand, her glasses leaving indents against her nose. “Well at least,” the man exclaimed, leaning forward. “I’m considered as the Maid of Honor in this manner and not some other Bridesmaid wannabe –“

The woman sitting across him almost tossed her wad of table napkins at the thespian who leaned back laughing with his tongue stuck in between his teeth.

Sighing, Vega found herself pointing at Max – before swatting the man on the shoulder, hitting a bicep. “While you two morons quit it,” Vega hissed. “Tom had good suggestions for the hotels my parents can stay in when they come over, and Mom wanted to thank the man who bought me my wedding dress.”

She wanted to groan remembering how she left Thomas talking to her mother for a while as she picked her tea up from the kitchen, only to return and find that the two were already laughing on how they were both aware of how much Vega was a hissy-fit she was back when she was a teenager after her mother found out from the man about the origins of how they met. As much as it was a historical moment having her parents meet her most treasured best-friend in London, she didn’t expect that Thomas would win her parents over (more than Gale would ever win her own brother over) in a flash by just cracking jokes and telling them that he’d provide them with the best accommodations in London if they managed to come over…

That is if they manage to go around the dilemma of a previous engagement and if they could convince Vega’s father to cancel out of a cousin’s wedding – so that they could attend his own daughter’s wedding. But just like Gale’s parents – her own mother and father pushed for the bigger Melbourne Wedding event as well. This is why she got Tom on the line – that maybe her charismatic and charming friend would be able to convince her parents to attend her own wedding… But considering schedules, misinformation, lack of funds and lack of time – even the Gods wouldn’t favor Vega’s father and mother to attend their small “service” a thousand leagues away.

“So much for putting their names on the guest list,” Vega hissed that day, crossing her own parents out. “Why is everyone pushing for Melbourne!? I want it here!”

Tom shrugged and said, “Maybe it is really destiny for you to wait and bring your entourage home. Maybe you should put your preparations on hold.”

Throwing her hands in the air as she stomped out of the room with her iPad still in Tom’s hands, her best-friend just shook his head and muttered how stubborn Vega was.

At that exact moment in the Steam Room, Vega was being stubborn about things again.

“Why won’t anyone come?!” she hissed in between her teeth. “Every relative I have reserved for this event won’t VIP and would rather go to the Melbourne Service instead. This is driving me insane!”

“Come on Vega,” Mari reasoned out, looking as exasperated as Max when she heard that Bridesmaid joke from their male Mercenary Brother. “You have to admit that the plans are a bit hurried and the Civil service would be held in less than a month – that’s not enough for anyone to prepare, save for people across the world to set up airfare and budget to travel miles away for your Wedding.”

“My parents did it for my brother!” she hissed, as she ran a hand through her hair, flipping through her organizer violently, ignoring the way Tom and Max exchanged exasperated looks, considering Vega has been temperamental and bothered about the entire thing for more than a week now. They had their peace when Max accepted the fact that she would be her bridesmaid and it was enough honor, but once they got to other matters, Vega was slowly becoming difficult once more – despite Tom’s patience and her friends’ support. “They managed to fly two days before his wedding, and they didn’t even bat an eyelash when he called them through long distance!”

“But you have to consider that they were coming from New Zealand at that time, Vega,” Tom reasoned out, having heard the entire story before. “And they were on vacation, considering that Australia was really on their itinerary next.”

Vega just let out a frustrated groan as she buried her face in her hands, causing her best-friend to sigh in exasperation.

Trying to lighten the mood, Mari then cleared her throat and said, “Well good news here at least: I’ve got confirmation from most of the girls in the US that they’ll be flying in five days to answer to your request of ‘moral support’.” Licking her lips and rechecking her phone to see what else they have added, Mari says, “Oh, and only if you declare them as your bridesmaids.”

Raising her head from her hands, Vega made a face and retorted, “Wait a minute. Who’s coming?”

Exchanging glances with Max, Mari replies, “Sam and Lila would definitely be here by end of week. Lis says she’d try to make your settled date for the Civil Service, but considering her grandmother’s funeral and wake – she says she’d just book a sure flight for your Melbourne Wedding.”

Smiling softly as she composed herself of her earlier outburst, Vega straightened out her collar and pulled down her vest saying, “Well that’s really sweet of them.” She looked up to find three pairs of eyes worriedly looking at her quick swing of emotions. “I told everyone that they’re free to attend the Melbourne wedding but they don’t have to be present during the London Civil Service…”

“Oh sweetie,” Mari mused. “Of course we’ll try our best to be there! We promised to be there for you – and we will!”

Max shrugs. “Oh sure, leave out the fact that Lila was itching to see you.”

Mari hushed her down, before giggling, causing Vega to roll her eyes.

“Please!” the brunette with the wedding ring said, waving a hand. “You do know Sam’s coming over too after having that offer from Harley Corporation. She was going to have an interview a week after Vega’s service, you may want to help her find somewhere to stay.”

Tracing the mouth of his cup, Tom whispered, “Ah that. We could take care of that.”

Turning over to look at her best-friend who just shifted his eyes to glance back at her with a challenging look, Vega found herself unceremoniously shaking her head as she gathered all her stuff on the table – from the unruly brown organizer that she has been carrying around ever since the entire planning has started, to the iPad she had been lugging around since her first trip to London. It has become so obscure that nobody even notices that it still has the artwork of Loki as its wallpaper. Either that or she forgot that she never changed it – despite Tom noticing it the entire time.

“Alright ladies, I’m afraid I have to bail out of this meeting I called on myself – but I need to pick up my cousin from the airport –“

Max made a face. “Leaving so soon?!” she said in surprise. “But we haven’t discussed the best place for the service and the reception after! Shouldn’t we be worried about that?”

Vega stood there looking quite clueless – as she looked at her roommate, the brunette wife, and an unimpressed (and curiously melancholy-looking) Best Man who watched her as if she was running from a fire. Chewing on her lower lip, she tilted her head and forced a small smile on her face. “I am currently out of ideas.” Raising her hands about, she looks at the group and goes, “Any suggestions?”

Tom was about to open his mouth about to suggest that French Restaurant once more, when Max looked lazily at him and raised a finger.

“What about Carom At Meza, Abbeville Kitchen, or Banchetto?” the Latina suggested, her list mostly composed of Spanish Fine Dining Cuisine.

The brunette with the glasses who was on the way to the door just shrugged, raising an eyebrow at the choices that were offered to her. “The first one sounds nice, and so does the Italian-sounding one,” she said in a hurry, as she held onto the knob of the Steam Room’s front door. “How about I appoint you as my Honorary Maid of Honor so you help me with this? You can send me the suggestions – I may take a little stop at the flat before going back to Gale’s hotel.”

Max frowned. “Now you’re appointing me as your _Honorary_ Maid of Honor, when your little cousin couldn’t step up to the plate. Do you want me to do the invitations as well and still hold your fucking veil the entire time?”

Upon the mention of the word _invitations_ , Vega spun around and worriedly pointed at Max, completely indicating how she forgot about them. Well you couldn’t blame the woman, since they only officially finalized the very short guest list at such a short time.

“Fine!” Max bellowed. “Fine! I’ll be your Temp Maid of Honor! Just because I couldn’t say no to you, you little fuck –“

Despite her violent reaction, Vega just tilted her head and smiled, whispering a small, “I love you, Maxi. I’ll make it up to you on the Melbourne Wedding,” before going out of the door.

They all watched and silently drank from their coffee cups till Vega turned around the corner to hail a cab, when all of a sudden – Mari and Max brought down their cups with a loud clunk on their plates, slightly startling Tom whose mind was lost, wondering about what was eating up his female best-friend.

“Good –“

“Now she’s gone –“

Thomas turned to look at the two women and wondered what they have in store. Half of him seemed excited for a little clandestine outburst, but then there was a little fear lingering in his mind considering that he may become a witness on a girl-on-girl gossip – and you know he wouldn’t like it if the gossip would put Aeoren in a negative light.

“Well,” Max was the first one who was able to utter a whole sentence, after the mischievous air settled upon the two girls. “Since I’ve been appointed _Honorary_ Maid of Honor, I guess it’s about time we talk about _things_.”

Gently placing down his cup and pursing his lips, Tom said, “I hope you’re not putting _Aeoren_ out of the loop in this, because she will surely be offended –“

Scoffing as Mari hid a smile behind a hand, Max rolled her eyes at her male roommate somewhat understand what Tom was getting at. It had always been known in time immemorial that _Thain_ will always be protective of his “little sister”, whether she was being bullied in the roleplay arena (claiming that he’s the only one allowed to “maltreat” his elven sibling before stabbing her side, in a true villainous fashion) or being pressured or egged on by her Mercenary Sisters outside the roleplay boards.

“Oh,” Max exclaimed, raising a finger. “But _Aeoren_ doesn’t need to know!”

Tom sat up, clearly looking confused with his eyebrow raised. He was about to mutter something about leaving Vega out of the loop would definitely not help with how she’s being bothered and busy about the entire planning, even to a point that he was tempted to reveal the woman’s seemingly unhappy disposition about her relationship with Gale – when he noticed this glint in Max’s eye that shut him up so he could listen to what she has to say.

“Oh Tom,” Mari exclaimed, smiling at their anxious-looking friend, as she shifted in her seat, uncrossing her legs. “Ever so protective of the bride. No wonder she chose you as her Best Man. You’re completely cut for the part. But this is probably the first time we’d ever ask the Best Man a favor –“

“Considering that this will be the first time we’d ever do this,” Max added, nodding at Mari who just shrugged. Turning to Tom she said, “But could the Best Man want in on the Bachelorette’s Night – or as you would call it: the Hen’s Do?”

Tom’s eyes widened.

 

 

 

***

 

 

“So this is the place?”

Max stepped out of the rented car Frederick had for the two of them, as she held onto his extended hand before standing beside the well-dressed Scot, who didn’t even bother to wear a bowtie or a waistcoat –except for this day. Saying that this was a special occasion and he better suit up in case he gets photographed or forced to drag his best-friend away before he gets into trouble; the two found themselves looking up at an old yet stylized building that towered over everything else in the entire street… like an old landmark.

“The Strand Palace Hotel,” Fred whispered as the woman clung to his jacket, seemingly unused to the red heels she was wearing. “Ah yes, this place.”

The brunette looked up at her boyfriend, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t seem to be too fond of the venue,” she murmured, brushing away a lock from her forehead, considering that she managed to pull back her hair into a bun, complimenting the red dress she was wearing.

Smiling bitterly, Fred exclaimed, “When you stand as the Best Man in your mother’s wedding to her second husband, knowing that your father is getting drunk in a pub somewhere in Glasgow… somehow you start to feel like barfing just when you see the architecture of the place where you were forced to eat cupcakes for lunch.”

Frowning, Max felt herself stroking the man’s forearm. “Oh Fred…”

Shrugging, the man uttered, “Weddings. They’re not really my cup of tea but as you said –“ The man straightened his bowtie. “We are to here to ensure that our Veggie-pie is truly happy.”

The woman beside him shrugged, as they stood there, seemingly unwilling to enter the place just yet. It had been two weeks since Vega had held that meeting at the Steam Room. Max would swear that Mari and the girls are almost at the peak of their plotting, but without Tom’s (or Fred’s) inputs – they were pretty much incomplete with the plan. However, the two did make an appointment with them at the one café Vega hates – just to ensure they could keep her out of the way.

“Oh please,” Mari said with a hint of jealousy in her tone. “Stop speaking like _someone_ we know. And you and I both are sure that Vega’s happiness is the sole business of one man –“

Fred laughed. “Her fiancé?”

The brunette rolled her eyes and was about to speak a word – when their idyllic conversation was interrupted by a familiar voice, causing the couple to turn around in their heels and saw a man crossing the street, seemingly causing a bit of traffic, like he always does at red carpets at least. Finding him dressed to the occasion as well, his roommate found herself raising an impressed eyebrow as her boyfriend hid a mischievous smile as he approached them, clearly out of breath.

“Please tell me I’m not late –“

The man was dressed in his finest suit – even better than what he wore to Cannes when promoting that Jim Jarmusch film about vampires. But it was in a deeper shade of blue than what he had before, and he was wearing a tie this time, tucked in the same waistcoat of the same shade of the sky, completely making his eyes stand out and complimenting the gentle gold that was slowly coming out of his honey-tinted short curls.

He was catching his breath to find his two friends with their arms linked together, causing Thomas to back away a bit – realizing that he must have interrupted a tender moment between them. But upon a single look from the smaller woman and a nod from her lover, Max found herself sighing as she approached her stubborn roommate, getting a hold of his tie.

“You look terrible Thomas,” Max said, clucking her tongue as she undid Tom’s black tie – wondering why the man was a mess on that one day when he swore that he’d be calm and collected. Somehow, despite the fact of how he appeared so suave and classy during events, the man couldn’t function well without the help of his publicist, a personal assistant, or even a helpful roomie. You couldn’t blame him after all, _as this was a big day._

“I’m sorry Maxi,” he said affectionately, ignoring the way his best friend waited for them patiently near the entrance of the hotel. “I had quite the wardrobe malfunction earlier that I just couldn’t choose the right suit to wear –“

The woman snorted as she did a final loop and affixed it on his collar. “So you call that a wardrobe malfunction,” she muttered, a smirk playing on her lip. “Unable to choose a suit?”

Tom just winced.

“Oh Tom,” she said in a tone that surprised even the man, considering how snarky and sarcastic the woman often sounds. “You should have informed Fred and me! We could have dropped over at the flat and helped you…”

He found himself declining yet thanking her offer, although he thought about how he should have asked for help. It was the day of Vega’s Luncheon, where she was supposed to introduce the very small London Entourage for her Civil Service to her husband-to-be and the representatives on his side of the family. The moment he received the invitation – through a long thought-out email from the woman who was about to be married (who then alerted him first that he was sent an email via text messaging), Tom had all these plans of getting ready, having his favorite suit sent to the dry cleaners, and thinking it over whether he should play smart casual or appear his best. However, things do tend to go out of control, and the perfectionist in him won’t let him lie still as the day drew nearer.

However, most of the tension was eased on his shoulders as he watched his female friend fuss about him, pointing out how his collar was a bit upturned, asking him to slick his hair back a bit more, and reprimanding him a bit about why he didn’t come to her and her boyfriend (who also happens to be his best friend) for help.

As he tried to calm the fussy Maxine down, Tom found himself smiling at how motherly Max seemed to be lately – something you would not find from the woman at all when she first moved in the flat. She was far from the dirty mouthed, irritable and short tempered woman who punched him in the arm and was chasing Frederick with a butter knife in a separate dinner event from two years ago. But seeing the sparkle in her eye and the way she matured, Tom realized what love and understanding can do to people… and turn them into something bright and new.

“There,” she said, placing hands on her hips. “You’re ready.”

“How do I look?” he asked the girl nervously.

To his surprise, Fred finally stepped up, as he clamped a hand on his friend’s shoulder, nudging him affectionately. “Mate,” he said albeit a bit exasperatedly. “You look like you can knock out every man who would be in that room.” His brown-haired friend then looked at the woman who stifled a snort, before adding, “Even me.”

Max suddenly started giggling as she gently patted Tom on the arm saying, “Trust me – you never hear him say this. And you know that what he’s saying is the truth.”

The statement made him smile, somewhat giving him the comfort he needed as he stopped obsessively buttoning and unbuttoning his waistcoat, or compulsively running his hands through his hair as if it was too unruly to deal with. In fact, if the paps were present – they wouldn’t stop taking pictures of how dashing he looked… something he would realize if he’d only look in a mirror and place that unnecessary anxiety aside.

Suddenly, the woman in the stunning red dress, ballooning pleats and that wonderful gold brooch sitting on above her left breast turned to the taller man in the gray waistcoat and the dark blue bowtie, saying, “How about me? How do I look? Do I look beautiful?”

Cupping her cheek and looking affectionately into the woman’s deep brown eyes, illiciting a smile from her, Frederick cooed, “Everyday, love,” before leaning down and tenderly kissing her lips. Max returned the gesture with much ardor, as she closed her eyes and eased her face up to brush her cheek against his newly shaven chin, tiptoeing to further herself into the kiss.

Seeing this public display of affection between the two couples, Tom couldn’t help but blush. However, like any righteous and well-mannered gentleman, he found himself unceremoniously adjusting his cufflinks as he looked away, trying to have a moment for the new couple. As much as he loved both of his friends, he couldn’t help but feel jealous of the happiness they were sharing… As it made him wonder if he ever deserved that kind of happiness.

This somewhat catapulted him back into his racing mind filled with anxiety, shattering his confidence about the event – knowing what _it was all about_. It would be the first time Tom would be meeting the groom whom he was supposed to play the Best Man to, considering that he was much closer (and intimate even) with the Bride. And since most of their friends would be there, not to mention this loving couple whose circumstances worked fine for them; the discussion of love, bliss, and marriage was just enough to sink the generally confident-and-emotionally stable man into a down spiral of conflicted emotions he first felt after New Year at Cornwall…

But before he could fall into a deep kind of melancholy, his gloomy thoughts were interrupted by a flutter of heels and high-pitched voices that also snapped Max and Fred from their passionate musings, causing Tom to turn around – finding a redhead, a brunette (flanked by her husband), and a happy-looking blonde girl who were bent over with glee, screaming out their names.

“OH MY GOD YOU GUYS!”

A smile began to spread on the man’s face as he was approached and embraced by Lila and Sam, who were quickly asking how he was, if he was feeling better, and how dashing he looked. Mari stood back and waved at him, as he was approached by her husband. He received a pat on the shoulder by Pete, making him realize that he hasn’t really seen the man since the ill-fated paintball episode.

 

“How are you Thain? We missed you!”

“Well I’ve been busy, but I’m glad to see you!”

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Much better than I expected –“

“Oh Thain! We watched Splinter Games when it came out!”

“How was it?”

“…I think I accidentally converted my friends into Hiddlestoners. They found out I knew you in real life and now they are bugging me for a private audience.”

“Tell them it doesn’t come for free –”

“Thain!”

“ – I wasn’t finished! If they bring custard, chocolate, and pudding; I’ll definitely show up! Bonus Benedict Cumberbatch if they get me Lindt chocolates!”

“You’re such a glutton.”

“SHUT UP MAXI I HEARD WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN YOU AND FRED –“

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”

 

Flanked by the girls as they entered the hotel, completely ignoring the old doorman who tipped his hat out at them, smiling curiously at a familiar-looking young man he couldn’t remember from where he has seen before – fussed over by a group of well-dressed girls, as they literally clung to his arm and harried him over at the beautifully carpeted lobby.

They were closely followed by Max and Fred and the newly married couple, with the women conversing as their respective mates looked on, silently exchanging “How do you do’s” and “How was the business” conversations that would often last the entire duration of the wait in the lobby.

But as Fred and Pete had serious discussions about their associates and how it was in each other’s work places, with Mari and Max joining the fray of girls who were surrounding and egging the initially lonely-looking, single thespian who was suddenly overwhelmed and excited with the sudden flurry of questions and inquiries about him, loving the attention.

“So,” Lila said excitedly, as she swept her cocktail dress about, standing on the bottom of the small staircase that was facing the lobby foyer. “Has anyone seen what Vega’s fiancé looks like?”

Tom opened his mouth and was about to answer his own opinion, in the middle of shaking his head – when Mari stepped up and tilted her head at her best buddy, saying, “I have. Pete and I have. Remember that story I told you during that time we came from that dinner with the in-laws and we bumped into her and that tall looking Australian hunk who came out of nowhere –“

“Would you even say that he’s an Australian hunk?”

“Big arms, broad shoulders,” Mari gestured, stretching her arms in that gold ensemble that completely highlighter her curves. “But not as tall as Thain and Baldain here.”

“So,” Max teased, raising a finger. “You’re saying he’s not as handsome as Thain and/ _or_ Baldain –“

“Come on,” Tom suddenly interrupted the comparison party, partially blushing as he brushed his thumb on his nose. “Don’t make me the point of comparison –“

Rolling her eyes as she joined Mari on the bottom step of the staircase as they managed to put on a few inches of height to get them to address the six footer almost face-to-face, Max shrugged and exclaimed, “Please Thomas. Aside from the rough and gruffy package Frederick can offer, you’re considered to be the _pretty boy_ of the group. You _are basically_ the _bar_ , Thomas. Of course we’d like to see how the pretty Galey boy would measure up to you considering how Veggie-pie has seemingly –“

“I heard my name.”

This caused Max and Mari to stop speaking, as they turned around on the bottom step of the small yet elegant staircase, only to find someone standing on the landing – that leads toward two different directions. Her hair was actually long enough to be held up by a jeweled clip, as she wore a high-necked silk and gold dress that went down her knees, sporting a very oriental fashion that brought about her true heritage. Just like all the other girls, she wore moderately high heels, as it clacked silently against the carpeted floor of the staircase.

Surrounded by the girls who looked up in awe, Thomas followed the trail of their eyes and found his chest tightening, with the air he was breathing getting caught in his throat. It didn’t help at all with how Vega beamed as she held onto the banister, grinning brightly at her friends as she descended down the stairs – only to be embraced excitedly by the two brunettes who were standing at the foot of the staircase.

“ _I heard my name_ ,” she repeated sternly, but in a comical manner, nudging her female roommate on the shoulder. “Why did I hear my name?”

“Oh but we were just talking –“

“You know,” Mari tried to step in, shut Max up before she could say something disastrous. “We were just discussing how you would happen to introduce your delicious fiancé to us, considering you’ve basically kept him forever –“

“Kept him from _us?_ ” Max harped in. “Marianne, you cheated having seen him first –“

“It was an accident! I didn’t mean to –“

Rolling her eyes as she suddenly felt the weight of how both girls placed their arms over her shoulders, Vega was in the middle of trying to brush them off when she found herself staring up at the man whom the two were originally talking to before she caught everyone else’s eyes by turning up in that beautiful dress on the top of the staircase.

Noticing the way Tom tried to avoid her gaze as he tried to uphold a smile on his lips, she had no idea that he was praying that his anxiety and nervousness about the entire occasion would not show on his face at all, as he cast his eyes down… composing himself, before raising it once more to faze the bride-to-be that he hasn’t seen for days with a smile that had the same brightness as hers.

“Hey,” the way she answered was a surprise, considering how Vega often shied away, averted her gaze, or shot back at him nervously whenever he gazed at her affectionately. But considering the tenderness in the woman’s eyes and how she eased herself out of the two girls’ embrace as Max and Mari started play fighting, Tom found a bit of peace with how she beamed at him and approached his person. “Glad you could come.”

Ignoring the clamor of the women about them, as Lila and Sam had joined the little tirade and discussion between the two other girls, Vega still managed to hear how Tom whispered, “Of course.”

Tilting her head as if asking him to ignore the crazy racket their friends are doing, Tom wasn’t sure if he imagined it but he felt a certain slew of words escaped her painted lips as she shifted on her feet, seemingly jerking her head in the direction of the suite upstairs, where she had been an hour earlier – talking and planning with her fiancé’s family representatives.

“Are you ready?”

The man opened his mouth, seemingly basking in the image of her standing almost face to face to him – considering the fact that she was on heels and she was standing a few steps up the staircase. And there was a certain glow about her face, almost similar to a bride who would be marching down the aisle that day, and it didn’t help that she was purely in satin white, with beautiful patterns crisscrossing on her dress… as he regretted memorizing how it was spread across her body…

He was about to answer her question, when he heard a voice that wasn’t his – saying words he _would have dropped_.

“Darling?”

The way his best-friend swiveled her head and parted her lips as she looked at the top of the stairs was something Tom would kill for. A man wearing a waistcoat with his white dress shirt that had two undone buttons from the collar, made his way down the stairs as he addressed the woman. He had this deep elemental shade of green to his eyes, and his brownish hair the color of the beach during a sunny day fell unruly on one side of his head, as he had both his hands slipped in his pockets as he slowly bounded down the steps, with a small smirk playing on his lip.

“Oh there you are,” the bride-to-be exclaimed, as silence fell on the lobby, as all of Vega’s guests turned to look at the newcomer. “Come,” she cooed, extending her arm to the man, asking him to join her. “I’ve got people I’d like you to meet.”

With the way he took her arm and the manner Vega lovingly looked in his eyes as she guided him down the stairs, made Tom back away from where he’s standing – till he felt someone’s hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn and find a wide-eyed, surprised Frederick who looked at the entire scene with calculating eyes. It didn’t help at all how the girls watched on with soft whispers and subtle glances, finally seeing the big picture that Vega had been trying to paint for the past year.

As the two stepped down on the carpeted lobby floor, Gale was already wearing a small smile, looking around at the unfamiliar faces surrounding him – from the eager-looking women in their wonderful Sunday best cocktail dresses, and the three tall, well-suited men who were trying not to look out of place as they stood together at the back of the group.

Smiling back at the seemingly positive expressions that were painted on Mari, Max’s, Sam’s, and Lila’s faces as they waited for bated breath for Vega to speak, Gale found himself turning to his fiancée who managed to clear her throat – putting an end to all that anticipation.

“Everyone,” she addressed the very small number of people in the lobby. “This is Gale Hareton,” she said lovingly as she looked up into his proud-looking green eyes. “The man I’m going to marry.”

As the girls crowded over the engaged couple, saying their hellos to the man who eagerly greeted them all; Tom felt himself subtly exchanging a blank, vacant expression with Fred… who seemed to be sporting the same expression for no reason.

 

 

***

 

 

Even if he was surrounded by friends, Tom never felt so out of place.

It was supposedly afternoon tea, given that Vega called for the formal meeting at the Strand Palace to take place between two-thirty to three o’ clock in the afternoon. And as planned, they were all seated on two large antique tables at a luxurious function room Vega and her cousin Rebecca had chosen for the occasion, being served the finest tasting tea at the Lounge Bar – with some of the men having a glass of Prosecco if they chose to.

However, having ascended to the suite without all of them being introduced or having openly interacted with the coveted Groom whom everyone was _dying_ to meet, Tom and Fred opted to stay at the back of the line and have their gushing Mercenary Sisters crowd over Gale Hareton who was being overwhelmed by the spirit and perkiness of Vega’s old friends.

However, while Pete and Fred were discussing random jokes about how they set up the Stag’s Do prior to Mari’s Wedding, with Tom reading from the menu – eyeing those sweet fruit tarts as he randomly dropped little hits about Pete and Fred and the belly dancers; he suddenly heard the two men scuffling on their feet. Looking up, he found Vega dragging her fiancé along (as she never left his side) over to the side of their table – causing the blonde thespian to get up on his feet too.

As the man who approached them straightened his blazer and waistcoat, Tom realized that it was Gale who was holding on to his fiancée’s arm as he headed over towards where he was seated, the younger man wearing an eager look on his face.

“You must be my Best Man,” he exclaimed, excitement evident in his voice.

Putting on a gentle smile, the one he often gives those perky-looking interviewers at red carpets, Thomas extended his hand and firmly shook the younger man’s hand. “Very nice to finally meet you, Gale,” he said firmly, with a warmth in his tone, quietly sizing up the man and muttering _Not bad_ in his brain, knowing that his sister does have excellent taste in men. And somehow, that both lifted and sunk his spirits at the same time.

However, Gale found himself squinting and dropped his jaw when he recognized who it was.

“Woah,” he exclaimed, looking to his fiancée and back at the six-foot-two skyscraper, still shaking his hand. “I know Vey worked in the press and would mention that she’s hanging around with celebrities, but I swear I’m stoked to know that my Best Man is Loki himself!”

The man in question parted his lips and nodded gaily at the praise, but also subtly shifting his eyes at the woman curled up at the groom’s arm – who just returned the gesture with a subtle shrug.

“I’m surprised that Vega didn’t inform you,” Tom teased, a filter somewhat flashing over his mood, in an attempt to hide the fact that he somewhat found the first meeting between him and Gale a bit… discomforting.

“But it’s such a pleasant surprise!” Gale exclaimed with a breathy laugh, as he released the taller man’s hand. “I’d definitely be honored to have a Marvel Villain as my Best Man – my brothers would definitely be envious of me. Very nice to meet you, Tom!”

The man tried not to raise his eyebrows at how the conversation went, but he doubted it that his own face muscles could betray him. After all it was years and years of training – if he could convey even the deepest emotions with just a twitch of the face, maybe he could control his own emotions and not give his discomfort or disappointment away. But still, he could only be human.

Seemingly sensing the awkwardness with how Tom laughed and straightened up, Vega found herself clearing her throat and harrying her eager-looking fiancé over to her other Mercenary Brother – the one she secretly doesn’t have a thing for… or had a history with. But little does she know how Tom was trying hard to erase the notion of the first impression that Vega’s fiancé seems very cocky.

As they settled to have tea with Tom and Fred resuming their places on the long table, they were also introduced to several people on Gale’s side – his brother Christian who was four years younger than him; and his close friend and colleague William Colston who was actually his candidate for Best Man before the bride-to-be made her call.

He would admit that the younger Christian had to compose himself when he shook hands with the Best Man, unable to hide the fact that he was a huge movie fan. William on the other was a bit reserved, quiet, and seemingly uninterested with what was going on – considering that it was a female-populated event. You could also tell that he wasn’t the type to ogle at the girls, although you could say how Marianne turned his head a few times. Whether he was interested or not, we could never know, considering the ring on her finger and the way she clung to the smug yet comical Peter.

But as much as Tom repeatedly swore that he’d behave, that he’d be what he promised, that he’d become the ideal Best Man as he’d always been the best friend he always thought of himself to be… _at least be everything she wanted him to be…_ as he watched Gale and Vega sitting across him, with the bride-to-be talking gently to the groom with half-hooded eyes, playing with his tie, entangling her fingers around his and exchanging sweet nothings when they think no one is paying attention.

What bothered Tom even further is how Gale would gently smile and respond to Vega’s little notions – only to turn around and enthusiastically (and boisterously) banter with his best-friend. In fact, only a few swatches of conversation has been exchanged between him and the groom, small talk concerning his work, where he would be flying next, and if their wedding was getting in the way of his hectic schedule. Trying hard not to frown or to answer as if offended, on how he would drop anything – heaven and earth just to give his bride what she wants – Tom had to stop himself from uttering anything in that line of thinking in hopes of not giving himself away.

On the contrary, Gale seemed to have a good rapport with Pete, and definitely, Frederick – concerning their similar interests in cricket and Fred’s experience in business management as a sideline before he went into Agency Production and Talent Management. However, unlike the business-minded groom, the Scot was more interested in the little stolen talks between him and his lady, who would whisper little jokes in his ear – turning the often smug and reserved Fred into a bashful, smiling young man whose world revolved around his adorable little brunette lover.

But as Gale’s discussion with his friends and his new acquaintances (as observed by Tom) managed to linger more about the business world, stocks, and possible marketing prospects; it didn’t make sense to the thespian how it somewhat intimidated him (even if he had the capability to join the conversation, but the fact he felt out of place made him choose to keep quiet) and remind him of _that_ discussion he had with his father concerning his choice of career.

With Gale’s ego and display of power on the table among the men, we all know that Thomas can definitely surpass him with his brilliant personality matched with his Cambridge education – but there was something about him that took the confidence out of the accomplished actor, something that had to do with the beaming young woman who clung to his arm and sat beside him as she listened to him speak the entire time.

On the other side of the table, the girls were busy trying to snap Gale out of his little animated discussions with William and Fred, by asking him and Vega the typical questions women would ask a newly discovered couple –

“How did you two meet?”

“Where did you meet Gale?”

“Well,” the man exclaimed, straightening his collar. “Vega and I were working in the same firm for years…”

The girl beside him felt like giggling, as she ran her manicured fingers on the edge of the laminated menu. “Yeah,” she said smiling at the way Max was being all feminine and interested with the way she entwined her fingers together with her elbows on the table, as she perched her chin on her linked hands, waiting for what she has to say. “I could say that Gale pretty much got on my nerves during my first year in the Hartinsson Firm –“

“She was in the Marketing Department, and I was part of Accounting,” the sandy-haired male exclaimed in his crisp Australian accent, ignoring the way the other men in the group pretended to listen.  “But she was reporting to me during that time of the year due to the shift of the managerment, and I was technically her supervisor. To make things worse, she would often be the one to come over and try to shut us up whenever the Accounting guys would get on the table and start dancing to ‘ _Friday I’m In Love_ ’ during Friday Nightshifts –“

“Well, I’m sorry,” the bride-to-be said in a laughable manner, placing a hand on her hip. “First off you were disturbing our international calls on the floor, and secondly –“ She adorably bopped her fiancé’s nose with a finger. “You really pissed me off that time since you were busy dancing your ex around on the table –“

Smugly, Gale teased her. “So that was why you had to bang your fists on our department’s glass door?”

“No,” Vega said, licking her lips. “That’s why you had to be stopped.”

For some reason, Max felt herself turning to Vega, her lips parted in surprise, remembering that little talk she had with the girl during the Mercenaries’s first Videoke session at Lucky Star, when Vega was the only woman not on her feet cheering Tom when he was up on the table singing the said song. But with the way the younger woman just smiled and shrugged at the other brunette across the table, they knew she wasn’t going to talk about it now.

Especially in front of Thomas who was aware of the subtle nod exchanged the two women, as he was trying to brush away the uncomfortable feeling that was brought about the anecdote – considering that his all-time favorite song was mentioned. Little did they know, Tom even felt a bit down upon re-tracking back through his memories, piecing little notes up with his new discoveries, and wondering why she didn’t seem interested that day he first sung that said song in her presence…

 

_Could it be that I reminded her of a man she would love in the future and made it feel uncomfortable?_

_Or was it because I reminded her of something she doesn’t want to remember?_

_I first thought she didn’t care at all or she just didn’t like it…_

_But now it paves a way towards even more questions considering that it has to do something with Gale…_

_Wait a minute! But isn’t it Vega had a boyfriend back then when I first sang that song in her presence –_

 

Tom’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted when someone arrived at the door, inciting the woman sitting right across them to get on her feet and walk briskly towards the entrance – as a beautiful young woman who shared the same complexion and hair color as Vega walked into the room in this beautiful beige dress underneath a cream blazer, breaking into a smile when the bride to be suddenly wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

Harrying her over to the group, her arms wrapped around her waist, the smiling newcomer looks around the group of foreigners, making her and the beautifully dressed Vega seem just like sisters.

“Everyone,” she called their attention, as about a group of thirteen smiling faces came to look in her direction.

Lifting her hand from the woman’s waist and linking her arm with hers, Vega proudly faced the group and introduced her to her entourage. “This is Rebecca,” she beamed as she turned to smile at the girl who was probably a few inches taller than her. “My beloved cousin and my Maid of Honor. I hope you guys would treat her well since this is her first visit to London –“ To which she wrinkles her nose at Max and the gang, ignoring the small snicker that escaped Fred or the way Tom was unusually quiet, considering his often chatty and bubbly personality, his inability to keep his mouth shut – and here he was, during his best-friend’s luncheon, pretending to hide behind a menu as he silently observes everyone with a subtle eye.

“Oh Vey,” Becca said in a soft voice, seemingly more timid and gentler than Vega, who was often boisterous and a less high-strung version of the Latina in her group. “That introduction wasn’t really necessary –“

She hasn’t even finished her sentence when everyone on the table was greeting her hello, causing the woman to smile sheepishly – something similar to what her older cousin would do, as she took her place beside Vega, grinning awkwardly at the entire crowd as she returned the hellos and shook hands with everyone who was willing to do so.

As the gentlemen on the group rose to their feet, Becca took a double take when Vega’s Best Man smiled and shook her hand – causing the woman to turn to her cousin in surprise.

“I’ll explain it to you later –“ Vega said with a small excited smile, before Becca turned to shake hands with an enthusiastic looking Christian.

As Tom gave the girls a final smile before returning silently to glance at his menu, a server started going around taking orders and picking up the menus from the diners, after giving pouring them a few more cups of that sweet smelling tea and leaving another teapot on their tables.

Trying to ignore the conversation that was exchanged between Rebecca and William – who turned out to be associates in the same firm a long time ago – what seemed to be his first impression of the Maid of Honor who had arrived several days earlier (but whom he only met now) began to change in Thomas’s eyes as he saw her become almost as animated and as spirited like her first cousin, as she chatted with the groom’s younger brother and best friend.

But amidst that all, what made Tom raise an eyebrow was how Gale managed to suddenly stay quiet when he’s all chatty and lively with all his talks earlier – before the commotion started. But as he sat silently in his place, his glowing bride was talking happily on the other side of the table with her Mercenary Sisters, causing Tom to silently sigh, unnoticed as he ordered a mixed fruit and nut tart to go with his tea.

“So, what do you do, Rebecca?” asked Max who was unusually curious about the newcomer.

“I am a Business Analyst for Rhodes Co. in Singapore,” the taller Asian girl exclaimed, ordering a plate of macarons for herself while being served the tea that has been going around earlier. “Though I jump from Sydney to Malaysia once in a while.”

“Becky always had an eye for business,” Vega suddenly explained, leaning forward with a twinkle in her eye. “Our parents – my father and his younger sister, Becky’s mom –“

Rebecca felt like wincing, forming almost the same face Vega does when she’s faced with information she doesn’t want to confirm. This parallelism made Tom snicker quietly in his seat as he drank from his teacup, being completely amused with how similar the cousins were – even if they completely differed from each other’s personalities. And as much as he didn’t want to pay attention, somehow seeing his best-friend interact with her cousin somewhat made his bad mood go away for that particular day…

“Oh Vega, please don’t use the old nickname –“ Becca suddenly spoke, blushing a bit as her cousin giggled and smiles were flashed around the table.

“Fine, fine,” Vega said, laughing.  “It’s just I haven’t seen you for so long –“ she exclaimed, gripping her cousin’s arm fondly, causing the woman to smile at her as they both hugged. “And I’m so honored that you answered my call to be my Maid of Honor –“

Gale was suddenly clearing his throat. “It was my call by the way –“

Vega rolled her eyes at her fiancé beside her, unable to see the way Rebecca dropped her eyes and blushed. “Please Galey,” the bride teased, releasing her hand from her cousin’s arm to poke her fiancé playfully on the arm. “You were the one who suggested her… And I don’t blame you – Becky changed our lives.”

As the couple exchanged a quick yet gentle kiss, causing the most of the people on the table to cheer and clink their wine glasses with their spoons boisterously, Tom found himself smiling albeit tearing his eyes from the scene – unable to notice how the appointed Maid of Honor looked away shyly as well.

“Alright you lovebirds,” Max hissed at Vega who was beside herself, head in the air, laughing after that little public display of affection with her boyfriend. “The sweets are here…”

As their ordered sweets were served around the table by waiters pulling around trolleys, dressed in a fine maroon waistcoat with gold buckles, you could hear some of the girls who originated from the US “oooh-ing” and “aaah-ing” at the colorful macarons they have asked for – at Vega’s recommendation. As most of the girls had a mix of the cakes often served for afternoon tea and the additional order of macarons, the boys settled for an extra bottle of Prosecco and Champagne, along with some sandwiches.

It was only Tom who found himself rubbing his hands together upon the arrival of his fruit and nut tart. Somewhat starving for only having a small piece of toast for lunch, the man found himself savoring the mixed flavors of dried pears, almonds and walnuts –

“Come on Gale!” he heard Vega coo at the groom, offering him a pink colored macaron. “You have to taste this.”

“There’s like tons of that at home,” the man exclaimed, taking a bite of his own dessert – something that he ordered at the last minute. “Haven’t I bought you a lot of that back during summer, ye?”

Vega shook her head and nudged his lips with the dessert. “Come on,” she teased him. “Just give this a try for me.”

There was a sickening feeling to Tom’s stomach as he tried to focus on what he was eating, trying to savor his little piece of heaven (knowing he’d been on a diet for days and it was his only cheat day – the best day to cover himself with sweets), as he ignored the way his best-friend allowed her fiancé to take a bite of the pastry she’s holding from her hand, and lovingly brushing off the crumbs from his lips right after – coupled with a adorable little giggle of hers that he prayed not to hear again as long as he was under this kind of torture.

“Alright then,” Gale exclaimed, nodding at how he agreed with how lovely the macaron tasted. “How about you try my little cake right here?”

His girlfriend gave a little peek at what he had on his plate, ignoring the little giggles coming from the other end of the table (with Max sneaking pictures of the couple on her iPhone) as she nodded at Gale and leaned forward to receive the bit of cake he was about to offer her.

However, she was about to bite down on the tiny fork Gale was holding out when someone cleared their throat in panic and said –

 

“You wouldn’t want to eat that.”

 

Vega found herself looking at the Best Man who was eating the same kind of cake across the table, with a worried look on his face, matching his raised eyebrow.

 

“I beg your pardon?” Vega exclaimed.

 

Tom found himself unable to speak – pausing to gather his words and his courage, considering that the groom was also looking at him in surprise.

“Why not?” Gale exclaimed through the silence, looking puzzled.

His eyes bearing down at the woman sitting across him, sporting the same confused expression, Tom could only utter one word that completely made Vega slowly distance her mouth from the waiting fork, containing the scrumptious delicacy.

 

“ _Walnuts._ ”

 

The woman suddenly found herself declining the man’s offer of the cake, as Gale sat there looking a bit confused – somewhat wondering why this British Guy whom he never met before and had an obscure friendship with his fiancée would happen to know this very important information about his girlfriend, considering that partaking the dessert or not would either result in life or a little trip to the Emergency Room for a few hours while on IV drip with anti-histamines.

“I didn’t know –“ Gale stuttered, retracting the fork away from Vega, who just dabbled the table napkin on her mouth politely and shook her head, trying to calm her fiancé down. “I didn’t know you were allergic to them –“ he said frantically. “I’m sorry –“

Touching his arm, and smiling at her fiancé, she found herself shaking her head in an attempt to tell him that everything was alright.

“It’s alright,” she said softly, looking into his eyes. “At least I didn’t eat it –“

“I’m truly sorry,” Gale said worriedly, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. “I didn’t know! Why didn’t you tell me? You should have told me –“

Vega found herself shaking her head. “I didn’t know it had walnuts either, it’s good that Tom found out before hand – but it’s alright now.”

“You should have told me… I didn’t know…”

Hushing him, ignoring the clatter of plates and the other guests minding about their business, Vega cupped her boyfriend’s chin and smiled. “It doesn’t matter now, love,” she whispered. “But if you recall, there’s a reason I keep saying no to your offer of buying Rocky Road ice cream whenever we pass by that little shop in Flinders…” She sighed, closing her eyes. “It’s because of this.”

Sighing, Gale exclaimed. “I’m sorry I didn’t know…”

“Oh honey, hush – it’s okay…”

Amidst all that fracas that was mostly unseen by the other guests, with only Maxi, Mari, and some of the girls wondering why Vega was trying to comfort her troubled-looking fiancé (save for Rebecca who seemed to silently enjoy her own plate of macarons, ignoring the entire ordeal); Tom found himself sitting quietly and expressionless in his little corner, eating his mixed fruit and nut tart – thankful that he ordered it beforehand.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

“Nothing says Stag Do than an efficiently executed Arabian Nights.”

“Aren’t you sick of that?”

“Well, not until someone became an efficient cockblock –“

“How about a School-girl themed stag?” William suggested. “Oh I swear, Gale gets off on that –“

Tom brought his hands together, furrowing his eyebrows. “Really now?”

“You’re the best man!” Christian said excitedly. “You should take notes –“

“Well, well, well –“ Tom exclaimed, breathing and holding his chest, trying to hide that cocky smile on his face. “Let’s not be too fast now –“

 

The men were busy conversing on the other side of the table, while the girls were looking over an album of bridesmaids dresses Mari brought along, as they munched over another big plate of macarons. As they were busy chattering, surrounding a really excited looking Vega with Rebecca looking over her shoulder, the men were reduced to plotting their Stag Night when Gale went out of the function room for the meantime to answer a phonecall.

“—shouldn’t we be sure if Gale is willing to have this kind of a Stag Do,” said the thespian, seemingly reluctant about another round of belly dancers, considering what happened the last time.

“Said the man whom two belly dancers fought over that night before I got married,” said Pete, clucking his tongue as Tom found himself covering his mouth, hiding a bit of smile, ignoring the way Fred was beside himself laughing. “You don’t seem to be up for this, Thomas… and you’re the Best Man. You’ve got to plot all of this.”

“Exactly,” the blonde exclaimed, rubbing his hands together – winking at the excited-looking Christian who licked his lips. “But before-hand, I want to make sure that Gale is completely on board with this and wouldn’t back out, like someone I know –“

This time it was Pete who was rolling his eyes.

“—I just want to make sure that he’d find this enjoyable,” Thomas muttered, twiddling his hands together, wincing a bit as he remembered the chaotic results of Pete’s Stag Night. As much as it was a tempting offer, having scantily-clad ladies dancing about him once again, seducing him of a wild night – Tom would say that it wasn’t as enticing as it used to be for him. In fact, he swore he’d be bothered the entire time – thinking of _something else_. But as the Best Man, he would do his duty – to make the man who would marry his best-friend happy – since it knows it would truly please _her_ too. Of course, he’d probably intervene if Gale does try to pull off what he and Fred managed to do that night after Pete’s Stag Do… Either that or let infidelity work to his advantage, but we all know that Tom’s too much of a British Gentleman to even let that happen.

However, his thoughts were interrupted when Gale marched back into the room, unbuttoning a part of his waistcoat, seemingly stressed for a moment. However, taking a quick glance at the girl’s table where they were having a laugh – he found himself smiling again as he approached the men who seemed eager to see him.

“Let me guess,” he jested. “You’re secretly talking about that secret Bachelor’s Night – weren’t you?”

It was Christian who first laughed, pointing at his older brother, who just managed to wink at him. Tom and Fred subtly exchanged glances, before the Best Man ended up biting his lip and smiling up at the groom. “You could say that –“ Tom said slyly, a small playful glint appearing in his eyes. “But of course if we disclose it, then it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore.”

“Psh,” the sandy-haired man exclaimed, flopping on the empty seat beside Fred, as he placed an arm over his younger brother, slightly headlocking him. “That’s an old tradition –“

He found himself somewhat laughing, making it sound sarcastic to the Best Man and his best-friend, but they didn’t talk about it – nor they exchanged a gesture about it. Tom continued smiling as he waited for Gale to compose himself, before realizing that Christian was starting to groan underneath his armpit, promoting him to release him.

“Here’s the thing,” the young executive of Hugo-Hartinsson exclaimed, leaning forward. “I really don’t mind the most promiscuous plot you have for the Stag Night – as long as this doesn’t end up as something like the Hangover –“ William ended up snickering at his friend’s little retort, causing Tom and Fred to grin and chuckle at the little joke dropped as well.

“But for you,” Gale turned to look at the man sitting across him, with his fingers entwined as he pressed his lips against his knuckles, wearing a calculating look – keeping a stern smile on his face. “For my Best Man and my Vey’s dear friends – I only want you guys to have the best time.”

Sort of saluting them, the sandy-haired man exclaimed, “So please – enjoy yourselves and choose to do what you want to.”

It was a generous offer, and it was truly kind of the groom to think that way – providing leeway and fondness for his wife-to-be’s friends even before he truly knew them. Either this was his way of trying to get close to them – it didn’t feel like so for Tom. So many words wanted to spill out of his mouth, but as much as he’s the kind to have the most appropriate and timed retort for events such as this – he never felt as dumbstruck as he was that moment.

However, the moment he was about to say something, much to the chagrin in Fred’s eyes who seemed to be subtly telling him not to –

He almost jumped out of his seat upon a flurry of high-heeled footsteps behind him, and he found Frederick’s girlfriend’s hands sitting on his shoulder – and Pete’s wife clinging to his arm. He turned around to find most of the girls approaching him with wide smiles on their faces, calling out to their beloved “Thain’s” attention.

As he managed to flash his brightest grin, more sincere than the one he was shooting at Gale (and hoping they wouldn’t notice it), he found him surrounded by his “sisters” who were busy asking him how he was, how he was so lucky to be the Best Man, and how much they missed him…

“Wow,” the wide-eyed Christian exclaimed, watching the entire spectacle of four women fussing about and surrounding the RADA alumni. “You’re really quite the superstar, aren’t you, Tom?”

The man turned to wink at him, as Christian’s older brother started talking to William about his plans for the Melbourne Wedding. “It just so happens that I have four ladies at my beck and call – Ow! Lilianne! What was that for –“

“That was being too cheeky –“ Lila suddenly had an arm wrapped around Tom’s bicep after pinching his cheek, and was hauling him off his seat… as Maxine shifted her attention to another man and managed to sit on his lap, whispering sweet nothings in his ear. “I’m afraid we may have to cut this short, Gale –“ the redhead managed to catch the Australian’s attention, who swiveled his head to nod at her – before subtly appraising the curvy ginger from head to toe. “But we may have to confiscate your Best Man for now –“

“Ah yes,” Fred suddenly spoke up, getting off his seat – but not before getting a good grip on his girlfriend, and making sure she settles her feet firmly on the ground. “There’s something they want to show him in Soho –“

“Oh well then,” Gale exclaimed, pinching his nose before getting up his feet to shake hands with him, Pete and Tom once more. “Please, feel free so. I’m so glad to meet you both and I look forward to seeing you more during the following days.”

“We’re pleased to meet the man our sissy’s going to marry,” Tom exclaimed, returning the firm shake. “Take care of her – she’s quite a wild one.”

Gale found himself winking suggestively at the thespian, who then ignored how Fred rolled his eyes and subtly nudged him in the rib without anyone noticing. “Definitely will,” he said before releasing his hand, considering that Lila was already tugging at Tom’s other arm.

By this time, Vega has heard the commotion and has left the Bridal Album Mari lent to her, hurrying over to her friends with her beautiful silk dress scraping the carpeted floor. “Guys, guys,” she called after her alleged bridesmaids. “I heard Soho,” she found them all raising an eyebrow upon turning around – hauling her precious Best Man out of the door – wearing a ‘Save Me” face. “I want in!”

To her surprise, all the girls turned around to face her – wearing a naughty grin.

“I’m so sorry Vega sweetie,” It was Mari who approached her, after unlinking her arm with her husband, considering that Fred and Max went ahead and was having a little moment down the hall. “But this is a little trip we’re making _for your_ bridal activities where we can’t include you –“

Vega’s eyes widened, somewhat getting an idea of what it was – but then she found herself raising an eyebrow when they saw them all flanking Tom, with the man trapped with his hands on his sides as he was about to be harried down the staircase by Lila and Sam, all looking more mischievous than the thespian or Loki combined.

“Sorry darling,” Mari repeated, giving the aghast-looking girl a peck on the cheek – as she wiped away the trace of the pink-colored lipgloss on her cheek with one red manicured nail. “But I’m going to ask you to split from your sisters for now and stay with your dashing fiancé over there –“ she gestured to Gale who was with his own entourage who was busy teasing a colleague – a bored and coy-looking Rebecca who was sitting across them, repeatedly circling the mouth of her teacup.

“But guys…”

Waving silly little goodbyes as they all went down the stairs, the last thing Vega saw of the group was the strapping man in his blazer and waistcoat swiveling his head to mouth a very clear “ _Sorry_ ” in her direction before he was completely hauled down the staircase by his “sisters”. Vega found herself just shrugging and waving randomly at Tom who seemingly looked overwhelmed by being in that fray of women.

But before she went back inside the now-empty function room, what caught her eye and stopped her in her tracks was the fact that she saw a couple seemingly having a blatant public of display of affection in broad daylight – at least they are slightly obscured by a pillar and a pair of closed bay windows that kept them in the shadows.

With the way the woman in the beautiful red dress with a knee high slit running up her thigh leaning against the wall was lifting her head to savor the kiss the man was giving her, tilting her head up with a gentle slight of his hand… as he poured his emotions into her mouth while they swayed to a rhythm they can only hear; Vega could definitely feel their passion emanating a several steps from where she stood – to a point she just couldn’t look away.

To her surprise, he disengaged before gently whispering in her ear, brushing his lips against the side of her head, before she nodded and took him by the hand – as they finally went down the stairs.

Unseen by the couple, Vega found herself leaning against the door of the function room, hearing the raucous laughter caused by Gale and his mates as they tried to pry Rebecca about her new pretty officemate and her potential boyfriend back in Malaysia, as she mulled to herself about what was missing in her life that was triggered by that vision of her female roommate and her boyfriend making out so passionately in the darkness of the corridor.

Happy about how Max finally found security, love, and bliss with Frederick, Vega thought about the life she has paved between her and her husband-to-be, as she comforted her troubled thoughts with her plans for the Civil Service, as she retreated back into the function room, closing the doors behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gloves (as portrayed in Disney) is a symbolism of hiding a secret. Vega is clearly hiding a secret… and so does Tom. We all know what it is… despite how real that dream seems to be. 
> 
> This chapter brings us back to that chapter in “A Blind Conversation” where it made you wonder why Vega wasn’t really happy when Tom started singing “Friday I’m In Love”. Apparently, the song does have quite a history. 
> 
> Also, it’s nice to listen to “Breakeven” by The Script for the duration of this chapter. Though we are going to need that song in another upcoming chapter. Buh.


	49. Where Did Our Love Go?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Vega's Hen's Do -- and the girls are up to nothing good.

“And so he just moved to buy us ice cream and more sweets, despite stuffing ourselves with macarons that day,” said Mari who was telling a familiar-sounding story in a filled-up taxi, occupied by a busy Lila who was looking at her nails while dressed in this revealing pink dress, sitting right beside a wide-eyed Alexa, flanked by her uninterested-looking twin brother – who kept sneaking glances at a beautifully dressed Samantha, who was wearing an off-shoulder piece. “But he never bought himself any of the cold treats.”

“Wow, you guys must have had too much to eat that day,” Alexa exclaimed, regretting the fact that she had to miss Vega’s little afternoon tea – considering that her brother and her were returning from Dublin the week before that. Now almost a month has passed, and Vega’s Civil Service was coming close. Everything was already set-in place, she had a few trips to the authorities to secure her union, and she had already reserved the Alexandra Park for the grand day. “It’s such a shame we didn’t make it…”

“Oh please,” Mari said, shaking her head, wearing this sexy cocktail dress her husband threatened to rip off her person when she gets home that night – if she does go home. “Why were we worrying about the sweets – have you guys even paid attention to Thomas?”

Lila looked up from her nails and found herself rolling her eyes. Alexa found herself shifting her gaze to the brunette, as Mari managed to catch Sam’s attention as well. “Why,” Alexa inquired. “What’s up with Tom – was the ice cream he bought too cheap for someone with his grand budget –“

Wrinkling her nose and waving her hand at her, Mari exclaimed, “No it’s not that – It’s that the man had twice the guts to even show up at the Afternoon Tea knowing that Vega would be wrapped around her fiancé’s finger –“

“Not to mention that he had to stomach becoming Gale’s Best Man –“ Sam whispered quietly from her seat, ignoring the way Alexis looked at how her mouth moved.

“Whoa whoa,” Alexa piped up, waving her hands and making her baubles shake. “Vega and Tom? Really? That’s a thing?!”

Mari and Lila exchanged knowing looks and had to refrain from laughing. “Oh Alexa, the tension is so palpable in the room even if Tom’s just running his fork around his fruit and nut cake and the bride-to-be is busy wiping macaron crumbs off her fiancé’s mouth!” said the brunette.

Wincing, Alexa said, “No, I really couldn’t tell –“ However, despite her disbelief – the deadpan expressions on the women’s ‘faces was enough to have her retract her statement. “Really? They are? My God, I don’t even –“

“That’s what you missed in the Grand Mercenary Reunion here in London two years ago,” Lila said, sighing. “You should have seen how that _little tea party_ of Thain and Aeo blossomed into something horribly fucked up like this –“

“And boy have they gotten quite disastrous for the next two years,” Mari said with a bit of pity and hopelessness in her tone. “So far we’ve witnessed Tom literally trying to circle the very stubborn Vega like a prey –“

Lila pointed at her best-friend and added, “And to think of – they did kind of hit it off when we went back home! It could have worked! I heard from Max and Fred that the two spent three days together canoodling in Thomas’s flat and all over London!”

“I know it’s unbelievable,” Mari exclaimed, waving a hand. “But it mostly would have happened –“

“But you know deep in your heart that _it actually happened_! Even if we didn’t see it in its fruition…” The redhead reasoned out. “You’ve seen how Tom was looking at her – and you can clearly tell that Vega felt the same, considering how fucking panicky she looked at the hotel when she told us that Tom kissed her –“

Mari found herself shaking her head as the cab took a sharp turn, causing the girls to be snapped out of their tension-filled discussion, ignoring how the sky slowly became dark outside the cab that they rode from this small bistro near their hotel where they met up with Mari and the twins, en route to Max and Vega’s flat on the other side of town.

“And then the entire Melbourne episode happened,” the brunette exclaimed, biting on her nails, looking out the window for a while, before returning her focus towards the girls. “Now, we aren’t really clear what happened in Australia –“

“But next thing we know,” the redhead continued. “Tom’s all quiet and busy with his projects, there aren’t any exchanges between them on Twitter – and Vega shows up at Mari’s Bridal Lunch Announcement with a giant ring on her finger –“

Alexa felt like dropping her jaw at it all – considering she only knows a very small fraction of the story. But considering what the girls know and what was said – it was basically the entire story in a nutshell. At least what the story was so far.

“After all of this I wonder –“ Sam says bitterly, looking out of the window, watching the sun set. “I wonder if Vega has the heart to notice how Thain is falling apart despite her happiness…” The girl tucked back a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. “But not that I don’t want her to be happy at all…”

Mari felt herself locking eyes with the blonde, and eventually exchanging glances with her ginger best-friend. Alexa waits with bated breath as she listened in to the discussion, completely taken aback by the juicy stories between her recently discovered Mercenary Siblings, considering that she used to be one of the most boisterous and sneaky roleplayers in their team, mostly being left out since she was one of the youngest. True to his character (especially when he was the one controlling Alistair after his sister’s sudden boredom of the message boards after hitting the Dean’s List), Alexis sat there – mind seemingly wandering everywhere else… despite keeping tabs on every detail, considering having the same photographic memory as his sister.

“Tom went through a lot of shit this year,” Mari muttered, pity in her eyes, remembering the panic that erupted online when news spread of his hospitalization. As much as the four of them in London tried to keep it quiet – the girls in the US also found out the truth behind it, though they try not to talk about it… or look at his hidden scars. “He managed to lose his girlfriend, have a marriage proposal rejected on the spot, had his life placed on the line, only to be saved by _that_ unsuspecting roommate in a span of three days!”

The redhead sighed, pulling her legs up, her dress bunching up around her waist. “It’s a miracle he still manages to put on a face and appear cheerful amidst all –“ she gestures to the five of them in the cab. “All _this_.”

Her bestfriend raises an eyebrow, having to sit across her in the cab – as she took a glance outside, realizing that they were close to their destination. “You know he’d do it,” Marianne muttered softly, even if the truth was louder than her silence. “He’d do it, he’d put everything aside and swallow his own pride –“ He turned to look at the group that was starting to turn melancholy, despite the supposed planned events of the night. “He’d _do it for her_.”

“I wonder if Vega even has a tiny bit of respect for the man –“ Lila grunted, picking up her purse roughly from her side, almost flinging it down the floor of the cab. “For her to go up to him like that and ask him –“ The redhead shook her head, clearly venting out that frustration felt by the entire group for a span of two years now, as they kept it under wraps under the guise that they weren’t supposed to meddle in the businesses of their friends – considering that one was a really private person (to a point that his attraction to one of them was clearly kept under wraps no matter how he tried to hide it) and the other had made her choice. “I just can’t help but wonder if any of this keeps her up at night –“

“I wonder if she even cares…” Sam whispered softly, causing Alexa to look at her curiously, wondering how interspersed was the entire issue with the entire group, and how long have the girls been keeping quiet about it.

“Come on!” Mari piped up, trying to dispel the cloud that was forming over their heads. “We’re not just going to stand idly by and let this pass! If Vega has to realize it – she has to realize it on our own. Not for her to say that ‘we gave her a little push’.” But then a glint appeared in Mari’s eye. “But tonight is her Hen’s Do – so tonight she has to play by our rules.”

Mischievous smiles appeared around the inside of the cab. “And to think that Max isn’t even here with us yet –“ Sam started.

Mari nodded and triumphantly exclaimed, “Tonight – _all of this will change_.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

“So are we good with emerald?”

“ _Honey, don’t you think that’s a bit too blatant –_ “

“I’m sorry, it just brings out your eyes –“

“ _Don’t think about me, love. What matters is what’s lovely for you –_ “

“You’re too kind,” Vega sighed as she rolled over her bed on her stomach, iPhone to her ear. “But honey, I need you to make a mutual decision with me.”

The gentle voice on the other line sighed and said, “ _Fine. Emerald it is. You seem to be hellbent on it anyway…_ ”

Vega wrinkled her nose. “Come on,” she whispered, running a finger through her still damp hair. “Gale sweetie, I just wanted to include you in the decision-making process for our Civil Service…” Blinking twice upon the silence on the other line, she sighed once more. “After all, we’re going to have to do it over again when we plan for the Melbourne Wedding…”

The sound of someone exasperatedly exhaling could be heard on her phone, causing the woman to groan once more and roll over to her back, letting her small limbs dangle off the edge of her bed, as she was still clad in her bath robe, wearing nothing underneath.

“ _Alright, alright_ ,” the man’s Aussie accent was so prominent over the phone.

“Okay, then,” the woman exclaimed as she turned on her stomach again, looking at her organizer propped open on the bed, as she flipped another page. “Onto the next agenda –“

“ _Darling_ ,” Gale interrupted her. “ _Isn’t tonight reserved for you and the girls –_ “

Raising her eyes from the organizer, the girl found herself looking at the digital clock she left on her nightstand – one that Max kept knocking over whenever she sits near the edge of her bed, everytime she swings her feet over; and the one Tom often turns around twice whenever he visits her room upon her request – where they would have last minute discussions about their matchmaking plot not long ago.

Much to Vega’s chagrin, it read 6:20. Rolling her eyes, she just turned on her back and helplessly flailed in retort, she muttered to her fiancé – “I honestly don’t want to go –“ However, the thought of it was too offensive enough, considering that her Maid of Honor and her female roomie and best-friend fixed this night for her, it was too rude to say no. Realizing this, the woman ended up groaning.

“ _Now now,_ ” came the pensive voice from the other line, as Vega found herself covering her face with her pillow. “ _Don’t be such a stubborn little doll and give your friends a break –_ “

“But Galey –“

 

_Knock knock knock!_

 

“Hold on,” Vega muttered as she shoved the pillow off her face and got on her feet, bouncing off her bed. “I’ve got to get that –“

She was thinking it was just Max asking her if she’s ready to leave. Considering that most of her wardrobe was left back in the flat, she decided to spend half of the day there – chatting a bit with Max who was also all on her lonesome, considering that Fred was busy that morning. Much to their luck, Thomas was nowhere to be found as well. Believing that the two boys must be off gallivanting as usual, the two girls decided to take a visit to the spa after breakfast and go back home to snooze before getting ready for the said Hen’s Do for that evening.

But the moment Vega got out of her bath and was chilling in the room she almost haven’t occupied for a month, she just had to pick up the phone and chat with her fiancé who was stuck (doing reports for an upcoming presentation after that weekend) in his hotel room. Suddenly wishing that she was there with him, her head on his lap as they ate off the sweets trolley that was brought in the hotel room every after dinner – Vega spent the next hour chatting with her boyfriend instead of getting ready for their supposed trip to town.

However, the moment she got out of bed and opened the door, she just knew she had to put the phone down.

After all, she was faced by five well-dressed women who were ready to party, along with an awkward-looking young man with sandy-blonde hair trying to look somewhere else upon realizing that the woman was wearing nothing underneath her robes. To top it all off, three of them looked surprised that she was only in her bath robe, one was looking shocked, and another was clad in her “little black dress” as she looked cross and furious with her.

“What are you doing, Vega Guererro,” The words that came out of Max’s mouth was almost mechanical, as she clutched those black and silver heels that complimented her low-necked black dress that sported a crisscross pattern over her supposed boob window.

“Looks like I need to end this call, baby,” the woman in the bathrobe exclaimed over the phone, causing the other women to groan.

Once she dropped the line, Vega managed to hold her brand new sparkly iPhone behind her back and shot her well-dressed Mercenary sisters a sheepish grin, knowing it wouldn’t erase the exasperation on Mari’s and Lila’s faces, the shock on Sam’s and Alexa’s, and the angry glare on her Landlady’s face.

“Hi.”

Before Lila can facepalm herself with her fingerless gloves, Max had already stepped in front of Vega – screaming, “WHY ON FUCKING EARTH ARE YOU DRESSED YET?! IT’S ALMOST FUCKING SEVEN –“

The woman with the black opal ring on her finger felt like sighing, wondering why on fucking earth was her roommate have transformed into the potty-mouthed monster again, just when she thought that she was already turning into this sweet, lovesick, little minx who’s wrapped around her hot Scottish boyfriend’s finger – ever since she caught them sucking face outside the function room at the Strand Palace. Apparently, she had to learn it the hard way that people will always be _who they always were meant to become_ despite falling in love, the moment Max pushed her aside and marched into her room – completely uninvited.

“But I can’t find a decent thing to wear –“

Vega had to stop in the middle of her sentence considering that the redhead and her brunette model friend had already entered her room without consent, and to top it all off, Max had ironically yanked her closet open at the point where she mentioned that she “can’t find anything decent to wear”.

“Come on!” The once very patient and reserved woman has probably reached her limit the moment Maxine started rummaging through her wardrobe. “That’s my stuff, Maxine –“

“Right,” the woman exclaimed as she ran her hand through a lower closet, pushing aside some of her best-friend’s familiar-looking clothes: from the rescued white trenchcoat that she wore on that one unlucky evening when she decided to go home after the Cornwall New Year Trip, to the black halter top she wore during Mari’s own Hen’s Do. Running a finger against her glossed lips, Max completely ignored how Vega randomly tried to reason out with Mari and Lila as both sat her down in front of her dresser, fussing about why her hair is so dry and it will take forever to get her ready.

But the moment she saw something very peculiar in her roommate’s closet, Max’s eyebrow shot up and she had to clear her throat to get the attention of the two girls and the very reluctant bride-to-be, as she pulled out this “little black dress” with a very risqué style out of her closet.

“What’s this?” The mischief in Max’s voice was evident.

The woman felt like wincing when she turned around despite Mari’s hands threaded in her shoulder-length hair. Max was wearing a sneaky grin as she pulled out this piece that would be considered as a “little black dress” with accents and stylings that even make her own dress look… modest.

Wrenching herself out of her friend’s grips, Vega had to hold out a hand, implying for her friend to put it back in the closet. “That’s nothing,” she lied nervously, unable to hide the panic in her voice, considering that this was a dress she bought a year before to try to seduce her then boyfriend (and eventual fiancé) during their “first” anniversary (after they got back together), where she swore that she was going to fuck the man – only to retract and take back the plan forever (at least until the Wedding Night) when Gale became too drunk to even function correctly – or even find his way between her legs.

“It’s –“ She found herself blushing at the memory behind the dress made with leather straps and black lace. “It’s saved for a special occasion –“

Tossing it on the bed, causing Vega to drop her jaws and have her two other friends to run over to Max’s side to get a better glimpse at the dress – only to gasp themselves, raising manicured hands to cover their lipsticked mouths.

“Well _it’s_ a special occasion, Veggie-pie,” Max said with a sly smile. “Now get dressed.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

“Why on fucking earth are you even wearing that coat?!”

“It’s cold.”

“You liar, take it off –“

“You take it off, I can barely see –“

 

Vega almost stumbled on those tall pair of heels as she found her footing on the pavement, after having stepped out of the cab… _blindfolded_. Wearing a black trench that she bought a month ago as a substitute for her white one that just came from the cleaners after having to scrub off those horrible stains, the woman had to hold on to someone’s hand to regain her balance.

Saying that it was all a surprise (and knowing she would fucking make a run for it if they find out where they were going, considering how squeamish Vega was, despite keeping her calm early on during the first Hen’s Do with the Mercenary Girls. She was unusually fidgety and hard to deal with – and you can’t blame her _since this Hen’s Do was tailored specifically for her_ ), the girls managed to shut her up as Mari held her hands (pretending to calm her down) while her redheaded bestfriend quickly looped a laced handkerchief (that matched her dress) over Vega’s eyes before she can even retort.

Having arrived at their destination, the “guest of honor” found herself clutching hard on Mari’s and Lila’s arms – considering that she didn’t want to fall face flat on the concrete. To top things off, she had to deal with her bossy-sounding best-friend (making her wonder if she’s like this with Fred on a normal day as well) who just had someone rip the coat off her shoulders – revealing the rest of the dress.

It was a daring ensemble – even more daring than what you would find in Vega’s wardrobe, considering that she pretty much upgraded her sense of fashion since the last time she was in London. But for someone you would still consider a bit reserved at her age, _this dress pretty much convinces you that every woman has a playfully sexy side hidden within them_.

The way it fell down her knees and gave men who passed her by a slight glimpse of her thigh made her look exquisite, not to mention how it managed to hug her curves and show that she isn’t that little girl you used to fawn over and protect – the kind of little girl in glasses who used to roam the hallways of Way HQ, looking completely lost and unaware of her surroundings. But what made men who passed them by take a second look at the blindfolded woman was how the satin black material merged into black leatherette straps that crisscrossed her back, giving the illusion that the dress was wrapped around her figure – and you wouldn’t imagine that behind all that corporate wear during workdays (and the faded shirts after hours) is a body Vega could actually brag about. Not too thin, not too fat, but the curves. Damn _, the curves_. And she doesn’t even speak about these!

What even added to the elegance of the dress was the fact that from her shoulders up was a beautiful black lace material that covered the exposed skin… giving her an even sense of mystery and teasing the viewer, enticing them of what else they could see underneath it…

And to top it all off, she wore a matching set of stockings that went way up her thigh with laced edges, after having it left in her closet too long that it almost rotted away. Pinning on those favorite star-earrings she got for Christmas that nobody noticed; it was matched by this old hourglass silver necklace that dangled down her chest, complimenting the swell of her breasts that was often hidden away.

However, that certain black piece itself spoke so much poetry, and Vega clearly remembered how Gale literally dropped his jaw the moment she removed the peacoat when they were at the back of the cab that day she wore it for the first time. But after that failed evening (well not too failed, at least to Vega’s standards) – she swore she’d save it for another day.

Too bad, Max found it in her closet.

To top it all off, the girls couldn’t stop _oooh-ing_ and _aaaah-ing_ over the captivating dress, considering that the younger (and curvier) Alexa silently envied how the tiny and seemingly “curve-less” Vega turned into a something like a goddess in her opinion… and somewhat being jealous of the dress as well.

However despite being unaware at how the girls enviously eyed the dress on the bride-to-be, Vega was worried about her whereabouts and the possible events of the night that she couldn’t stop calling out to her Honorary Maid of Honor as they kept on walking – even after hearing a sort-of-bouncer with a deep voice call her roommate “Darkjade” before letting her in what seemed to be premises that smelled of scotch, perfume, and airconditioning.

“Since we’re here,” Vega tried bargaining. “Can you guys please take the blindfold off?”

“Sorry Veggie-pie,” she could make out Max’s voice amidst the techno-music that would come and go… like the Doppler-effect passing her by. “But it wouldn’t be a surprise if you see where we’re going…”

“Can’t I at least have my coat back?”

“Why?” she heard Lila to her right asking her the question, hiding a snicker.

“Because it’s getting cold –“

“But it’s such a beautiful dress,” Mari spoke up from her left, clucking her tongue. “It’s such a shame to cover it up –“

“We’ll have the airconditioner temperatures brought up when we reach the _Fainting Room_ ,” said Max, savoring the way the girls were excitedly looking over their shoulders as they went past the VIP rooms of the Private Club they have entered, with Vega completely not knowing what was going on. “As requested by our _Guest of Honor_ –“

The quiver in the girl’s voice was apparent. “F-Fainting Room?” She couldn’t help but make a face as she turned to the girl on her left, who happened to loosen her grip. “What the hell is th –“

“Oh calm down, Vega,” she felt Mari whisper, patting her arm. “You’ll find out in due time.”

She could hear Lila scoffing on her other side, followed by the nervous laughter of Sam and Alexa behind her. “Just keep your coat off and enjoy the show, since its only us girls right here. No pesky boys to get in the way –“

Someone walking behind them managed to clear their throat, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand.

“Ah yes,” a dismissive tone escaped the redhead. “Except for Alistair who has been gallant enough to accompany us on this exotic quest –“

The younger man’s familiar whiny tone was accompanied by what seemed to be the scratching of his head. “Well,” Alexis exclaimed, ignoring the defiant glare of his sister who originally wanted to go to the Hen’s Do alone. “I could use some male company that our group obviously has –“

“Aside from you,” Max shot back, seemingly opening a door… as it was accompanied by a scuffle of feet, probably bouncers or servers. Either that, but Vega couldn’t tell what it was with her view completely obscured. “All other men are sort of –‘banned’ – from our special little event.”

She could hear Mari and Lila giggling. “Oh the money those two bastards would pay just to be here –“

Wincing, trying to shove out of her imagination how Thain and Baldain would currently be gaping at them and where they could possibly be standing. And especially with what she was currently forced to wear, you have no idea how Vega found herself exhaling with the fact that Tom wasn’t there – or else she would have to deal with two things: 1) That knowing look that she couldn’t tell between mischief and kinkiness; 2) trying to explain herself and failing.

“Speaking of them,” Vega spoke up, her curiosity betraying her. “Where are those two dolts anyway?”

Turning around to widen her eyes at the redhead and the brunette, Max found herself a little bit shocked upon hearing her roommie ask that question. Mari could be seen shaking her head in retaliation, only for the woman to silently slap her best friend on the arm when she tried so hard to hide her giggling.

“Aren’t they supposed to be going to the Stag Night or something –“ Alexa piped up.

Turning her head towards the voice, Vega said, “The Stag Night has been moved to another day, not today.” The girls exchanged looks as the bride-to-be continued, “In fact, Gale suggested to just have a nice night out at the pub… But I don’t think Thain or Baldain would settle for that considering _what they could afford and what they did during Pete’s Stag Night_ –“

“Thain could,” Max said shaking her head as she handed a card over to a man who was wearing a black muscle shirt, heading over to the reception, before handing it back to her. As much Vega was being vague, they knew exactly what she was talking about – even if she wasn’t completely privy to the events that happened simultaneously with Mari’s Hen’s Do. “Thain _would probably_ do it. But if Baldain would even fucking try –” The woman ran a line across her neck, making a snapping sound. “He knows what’s going to happen to him.”

Vega snorted, sort of berating herself for forgetting that two of her friends were now a couple. She was so cooped up in her own world with her fiancé on the phone (and her defiance to attend her own Hen’s Do) to even pay attention that she must have struck a chord. But thanks to her blindfold, she didn’t notice how Mari and Lila were biting their lips (with one trying hard not to start pounding the wall with her gloved hands) to keep themselves from laughing out loud – considering the ironic and killer look on Max’s face.

“Sorry Mrs. McAllister,” Vega whispered under her breath, causing Mari and Lila to finally burst out laughing as Max stepped into a private elevator – the other girls filing in behind her – with the two laughing hyenas last to step in, harrying the blindfolded woman.

“Shut your trap Guererro before I rip that fucking gorgeous dress off your person,” Max grunted.

Laughter erupted from the insides of the elevator before the doors closed in on them.

In minutes, the elevator doors opened to a private suite, covered by dimmed lights, with walls containing ceiling high LCD screens that projected various clips from the advertisements and services the Private Club could offer – from various videoke settings, to male stripper lapdances. But the entire place definitely reeked of erotica, exotic dancing, and sex – from the leather couches surrounding a small catwalk (that led to a dark room), to the sexy images of men and women flashing on the eight screens surrounding the rooms – causing the youngsters Alexa and Alexis to gulp. But don’t you worry – they are of legal age. What more that shrieking girls who were older than the bride-to-be.

“Ladies,” Max exclaimed as her heels clacked in the room, gesturing to the entire suite. “Welcome to the _Black Seminary’s Fainting Room_.”

The Black Seminary is known to be one of the most known Private Clubs (more like Ladies’ Club, if you will) found in the heart of Soho. Despite having such expensive fees, various themed private suits, and the hottest male strippers you can find; they were known for one feature – the Private Videoke Package that includes the _Fainting Room_ – where it’s soundproofed walls cover its entire suite, allowing the participants and its guests to be as rowdy as they want… “ _Where no one could hear you scream”_ is their motto.

The Fainting Room is often reserved by VIP guests, is fairly costly – and getting there would have you go through the winding, maze-like corridors within the complex, and getting into a private elevator at the end of a hall. How Max managed to get her hands on such a pricey Hen’s Do element, but still you know that woman has her own _connections_.

Now their Private Videoke Package is another thing. Knowing Vega’s fondness for grabbing the mic every time they have a session, Max knew the perfect place where the mic – will become her waterloo. They are not only known for their stripper interactions, but the videoke package requires an assigned “minister” to dance and grind with the singer at any moment that the guest picks up the microphone. Not sure how that works exactly – despite being briefed about it, Max (with the help of Mari and Lila) knew they just couldn’t pass on this opportunity.

Now, considering the expressions of the girls the moment they entered the private suite – you would be sure that they had no idea how excited and clueless they were on how the entire procedure would be happening at the same time, even if Mari and her co-horts have already seen the package and what it has to offer through private advertisements and the _Black Seminary’s_ marketing line.

But the most clueless person in the group is the blindfolded guest of honor who was seated conveniently in the middle of the round-couch that was positioned just in front of the elevated catwalk, her arms finally released by her friends – as she started clawing at the laced handkerchief tied around her head.

“Maxine,” Vega exclaimed crossly as she managed to swat away Lila and Mari’s hands as she untied the handkerchief over her eyes. “I am completely regretting the fact that I appointed you as my Honorary Maid of Honor –“

“Well then, I’d give up that title because the real Maid of Honor is here –“

The sneering face of her online female buddy was the first thing she saw the moment Vega snatched the lace handkerchief off her face. However, the moment she stepped aside in front of the catwalk, Vega caught a glimpse of that face that greeted her the moment she stepped out of University to congratulate her for finishing her requirements, when her parents couldn’t come from their home country just yet.

“Oh Becca,” she mused, standing up from the leather couch to wrap her arms around her beloved cousin who was dressed in this beautiful blue blazer and a white strapless cocktail dress, who returned the hug warmly. “I’m so glad to see you.”

Rolling her eyes, Max stepped over to her group, eyeing the server wearing just a waistcoat and a bowtie, flaunting his huge biceps. “You know,” she spoke to her roommie who was still overjoyed as she exchanged embraces with her Maid of Honor. “It was Becca who suggested this place, saying that you need to take a bit of a breather.”

Raising her eyebrows and smiling slyly at her supposedly timid cousin, Vega exclaimed, “Oh naughty Becky – and you tell me you haven’t been to London!”

Rebecca, who took a seat beside her friend as the rest of the girls looked around in awe while giggling and exchanged hushed whispers with the erotic displays that change every minute, held on to her cousin’s hand and exclaimed, “Oh Vega, I wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for Maxine here –“ She gestured to the girl who then smiled sheepishly after conversing (more like flirting) with the Chippendales-ish server. “She was the one who sent me a list of Ladies’ Clubs to choose from,” Rebecca explained. “However, I thought I found this one interesting… though it was very very expensive.”

The girls turned to look in the bride and the Maid of Honor’s direction as Max raised an eyebrow, hearing Rebecca say, “I completely have no idea how they pulled this off, bless them…”

For some reason, Vega felt like raising an eyebrow as well when she heard Max laugh frantically, the kind that she does when she accidentally finishes the milk that she was supposed to use for cooking pudding bread.

“Oh psh,” she said, after dismissing the server – who came back with two kinds of menus, one for the drinks and another for the videoke. “Let’s just say that I have some luck –“ Pointing at the smiling maid of honor, Max exclaimed, “You would say you are lucky too, Becca – considering that you made it here despite that dinner you were supposed to have with a colleague –“

Smiling at her glowing cousin, looking exquisite in that black dress that just made her stand out, Rebecca whispered, “Oh can I miss this for the world? My ‘ _insan_ needs me…”

Vega found herself smiling warmly as she held on to her cousin’s hand, smoothing over her fingers over a ring she couldn’t see in the dark. But the moment they heard someone clearing their throat – they turned to find Max trying to get her feet on the elevated catwalk, almost tripping as she had to take a big step as she crouched awkwardly to get her body on top of the pedestal, clearly uncomfortable with the heels she was wearing.

“Everyone,” she started, before wincing at how Alexis clutched nervously at his sister. “You okay there kid?”

“Gimme a whole glass of scotch and I’ll be okay,” he murmured under his breath, but loud enough for the exasperated looking Latina on the stage to hear him.

“You heard him,” Gesturing to one of the servers with a necktie over his waistcoat this time, Max managed to send that set of muscles running for a bottle of scotch that may warp up their bill. “Now we have that covered –“

Clearing her throat and picking up the microphone that was carelessly laid out on the edge of the catwalk, probably left behind by the previous group who occupied the VIP room or left behind by housekeeping for the next group, Max cleared her throat to get the attention of everyone chatting in the room.

“Alright everyone,” the Latina explained, tapping her mic. “Congratulations for making it to our very own Aeoren’s Bachelorette Night – and since we’re in London –“ Max clears her throat and speaks in her best British Accent possible. “ _Thank you for coming to my gal’s Hen’s Do._ Glad to see you here, but I can’t assure you that you can leave in one piece.”

“What is this, a horror movie?”

“Shut your trap Fontaine,” Max said with a chuckle, as the redhead stuck her tongue out at her. Strutting around the empty stage, twirling the microphone wire, the brunette then tilted her head, looking at the smiling woman in the laced dress, looking up at her with her hands still linked with her cousin’s. “Alright people, here’s the agenda for today…”

The woman then moves to explain the Private Videoke Package to the girls, causing them to hitch their throats at the mention of “a _minister_ catering to their _needs_ as they sang, so they better be careful not to fall and slip their footing just because “an oily body with a six pack just brushed up their arm”. But to make things even more complicated, Max then explains the “Bridal Shot” policy – a game they have never played before, something they wanted to do during Mari’s Bachelorette Night but didn’t fit the program.

“Vega dear,” Max exclaimed, turning to the bride to be. “We only want you to feel special and loved tonight, because that has always been our intention – as your sisters. Now that you are in the presence of your beloved cousin, we could say that your family loves you just the same – even more. So let us provide you with things you may or may not enjoy anymore once you are tied down,” Max then winks at her. “For one night only. For we love you, even if you’re quite the stubborn little shit.“

The woman in question just managed to shrug, causing the other girls to laugh.

“So about the Bridal shot –“ she starts to formally explain the game. “Every girl in this room –“

“EVERY _WILLING_ GIRL –“ Mari screams out, considering that Alexa started shaking her head, with her brother sitting beside her with his glass of scotch, mirroring his sister’s expression.

“Alright,” Max exclaims, rolling her eyes. “Every _willing_ girl in the room, yes – is supposed to dedicate a song to the blushing bride,” she gestures to Vega who was busy making an ironic face at her best friend. “Propose a toast – and then lick salt off a yummy _minister’s_ naked body in preparation for the shot –“ Max then raises a finger. “ _Any_ part of his body girls –“ The girls then shriek. “Of course,” Max adds, winking. “Something he consents to having these pretty girls lick on. Every girl up for that?”

Everyone except a shy-looking Rebecca and Alexa who dumped her face in her hands had to raise their hand and scream aye.

“Really –“ Vega started, looking at the married woman seated to her left, and then at the woman up on the stage who just recently got into a relationship. “Really?! You two? Aren’t you married –“ She gestured to Mari who just naughtily raised a finger to her lips, giggling slightly. “And does Frederick know about this –“

“Oh just hush, Guererro,” Max said sternly, causing the woman she was talking to – to snigger. “He doesn’t have to know –“ Her eyes suddenly widened when the bride-to-be in the leather and black lace raised her brand new iPhone to take a picture. “DON’T YOU DARE DO THIS WOMAN, DON’T YOU DARE –“

Throwing her hands up in the air, ignoring the way Vega’s laughter echoed above all the other girls, the woman marched down awkwardly from the pedestal, clearly cussing at both her roommate and her heels, as it caused the bride-to-be to stop laughing and look up in fear as Max snatched the Videoke Menu Book from the big circular table sitting in front of the round leather couch, startling everyone.

“Oh yes, go ahead and laugh,” Max said in a taunting tone, causing Vega to raise an eyebrow. “You’re gonna pay for that in the long run, Veggie-pie –“

Not knowing what she meant, to her surprise, the Latina retook her place on the stage by taking the small steps on the side of the catwalk this time around, as she stood on the edge, being cheered on by the girls to sing.

“Lights off!” Max commanded, dimming the lights with the sound of her voice.

As the lights went off and the _Black Minis_ try holograms went on full blast, Max started entering numbers from the menu book on the small keypad embedded in the microphone, before throwing the book over to an enthusiastic-looking Mari who caught it with ease.

Max could only smile sinisterly at Vega, who looked up at her as she crossed her arms and legs, subtly holding her iPhone in her hands, ready for anything.

“Let us begin.”

 

 

 

***

 

_Jenny, darling, you're my best friend_

_I've been doing bad things that you don't know about_

_Stealing your stuff now and then_

_Nothing you'd miss but it means the world to me_

 

 

Vega swore she has heard Max playing “ _Jenny_ ” by the _Studio Killers_ out loud in her room during her idle days, but she never thought that her own best-friend would sing this song to her at her _own_ Bachelorette Night. They were even kidding to change “Jenny” to “Vega” since it actually rhymes… but Max just ended up sticking her tongue out at them. However, Vega was thankful that Max didn’t – considering how the song made her feel a bit queasy. Not just the song is so suggestive – but knowing that Maxine is bi, makes Vega feel a bit uncomfortable with the song choice at all. But knowing Max, understanding how the girl tends to be sincere, and if she does have something to say about it – she would say it doesn’t matter since the woman is positively blissful with her boyfriend.

But she wasn’t blissful at all when Vega finally dared to take her picture.

“THAT’S GONNA COST YOU ONE!”

“I won’t send it to him!” Vega exclaimed, after Max got down and dirty with the _minister_ who came out with his priest’s frock, who suddenly tore off his shirt and started grinding his crotch at the singing girl’s ass – causing Max to just go along with it with the girls screaming their heads off in the process.

“You better promise that –“ Max worriedly uttered, glimpsing over Vega’s shoulder at the picture of Max winking suggestively with the stripper rocking his hips behind her, to the tune of _Jenny_.

“Well,” Vega started, ignoring how Mari went up the stage as she picked up the mic Max left on the floor. “Promise me something – you sure the entire _bestfriend_ thing is –“ The woman ended up making a gesture, hoping not to offend her buddy.

Much to her surprise was how Max went quiet as she looked at Vega in the eye, before releasing her hands from the coveted phone after attempting to snatch it out of her hands and delete the pictures taken of her and the _Black Seminary_ minister.

“Honestly sweetie,” the Latina exclaimed as she tucked back a lock of hair from her best-friend’s head. “If you swung the other way and liked me – I guess I would have.” But despite the way Vega raised her eyebrows, Max suddenly found herself smiling slyly, licking her lips, making the other girl wonder what else has her roommie tucked under her sleeve. “But Vega dear, _I’m not the bestfriend I was singing about in that song_.”

Vega dropped her jaw.

She wasn’t able to ask Max again about it since she was suddenly surrounded by a screaming Lila and a hyper Sam who must have taken a bit of the tipsy Alexis’ scotch, completely blocking the bride-to-be from talking to her Honorary Maid of Honor.

 

 

Next up was Mari, who ended up singing “ _Bedroom Hyms_ ” by _Florence and the Machine_.

 

_This is his body_

_This is his love_

_Such selfish prayers_

_I can't get enough_

 

Vega has this song on her playlist, and she ended up cupping her mouth to stop a gasp from escaping her person the moment the music started playing.

She considered this song to be something sacred, not just for the lyrics and the symbolism it holds. But the glorious sounds and the message, it was something she doesn’t mind listening to while having sex with the man she married.

But the feelings the song gave her didn’t help at all when the married Marianne started running her manicured hands all over her assigned stripper’s naked body after having appeared from the dark room beyond the catwalk, making Vega wonder whether she’d be as confident as Mari when it comes to herself and her man that she wouldn’t feel guilty by doing what the woman was doing to a random muscled guy right now…

But the moment Mari’s song ended, (after giving her bride-to-be friend a kiss on the cheek) she quickly went over to Lila who was beside herself laughing, slapped her on the arm, and looked at the video her friend recorded. Vega smiled to herself, knowing that the woman would never cheat on her man.

Then maybe she wouldn’t even dare cheat on hers.

 

 

By the time Mari finished, all the other girls were on an honor roll – except for Alexa who wouldn’t even dare touch the microphone. Her brother was literally red in the face, having the muscled server with the bowtie approach him twice to offer him another bottle, but he just ended up busying himself by playing with games on his iPod touch, pretending to look at his phone to sneak a bit of glances at a red-looking Samantha who was busy laughing and chatting with a red-faced Mari who couldn’t stop talking about how brave she was up on stage, and how cute the _minister_ was for having winked at her.

 

 

Lila sang “ _One Thing_ ” by _Amerie_ , one of Vega’s favorite songs featured in the movie “Hitch”.

Vega could even remember watching this with her friends back when she was still a Freshman in her first University, and talking all about it with Maxine online – considering that Darkjade was only one of the very few Mercenaries she had limited contact with (aside from Thain and his ignored emails), although a few emails were only exchanged about the girl and her love for movies.

But nonetheless, the song sung by the redhead (who couldn’t stop giggling as the _minister_ who popped out of nowhere started putting his hands on her hips, grinding himself against the sexy woman who just realized she needs a man to fuck after this entire ordeal) brought back happy memories to the bride-to-be who couldn’t stop singing to it as well.

However, just as Sam was about to ascend to the stage, Vega saw Rebecca refuse the Videoke Menu book that Max had offered to her, telling her that she was opting out as she drank from her glass of cherry coke, ordered from one of the men in the waistcoats.

“Vega sweetie,” Becca managed to catch her cousin’s attention as she placed a hand on the girl’s laced shoulder, startling her from her conversation with Alexa and Mari, describing her romantic time with Gale and how they asked her if her boyfriend had a little say about this Hen’s Do – if he felt a little bit jealous. “I need to go,” Becca whispered in the bride-to-be’s ear, causing the woman to hold on to her cousin’s hand, seemingly asking her to stay. “I have an interview to make with the firm early tomorrow morning.”

Kissing her cousin on the cheek, apologizing for being unable to see her out, Vega tried to convince her not to leave. “Can’t you stay for a little bit?” But upon her friend shaking her head, Vega had to see her off (with Max asking a _waistcoat_ to accompany the Maid of Honor out of the VIP room, stepping into the elevator) before returning to chat with Mari and Alexa who were starting to gasp once Sam has selected her piece.

 

 

Samantha sang “ _Love Story_ ” by _Katherine Mcphee_ , explaining first before the song started how Vega needs to believe in love and how it starts. Little does she know was how Alex was busy fidgeting in his seat, having his fourth glass of scotch.

Vega was actually surprised how every song that was performed by the girls was actually found in her playlist. She suddenly believed that maybe Max managed to hack into her iPod iTunes and printed out a copy of all the songs found on her replay list and distributed it to the girls. What warmed her heart on the other hand was the fact that despite all were songs about love and how she should approach it – what somewhat played at the back of her mind was that all songs seems to either ask her to embrace her sexuality… or uncover a little secret that she doesn’t know about…

However, as she was lost in her thoughts and the workings of her inner mind was drowned out by the sounds of women screaming the moment a stripper appeared and started dancing around the blushing blonde, ignoring the way he was so close to kissing the side of her mouth… Vega didn’t realize how the only man in their group managed to clench his hand into a fist, refusing to look at the stage, before subtly getting up on his feet and going at the back of the room towards the elevator – asking a _waistcoat_ where the loo was.

Little did he notice as he stepped in the lighted elevator was how Sam looked at him as she sang a particular part of the song…

 

_Can't believe it’s happening_

_When I least expect it_

_My prince under disguise_

_How you fooled me with those eyes_

_When I feel like letting go_

_In your arms is where I know_

_I am wrong_

_From the beginning we always belong_

 

 

 

***

 

 

“Anyone else?”

Max spoke up looking at the group of four girls who were currently in the room, save for the Maid of Honor who left earlier. Little does Max notice how a red-eyed Sam returned from the elevator, taking a seat beside Alexa who placed an arm over her shoulder, silently calming her down.

“Anyone else who is brave enough to take up the challenge –“ Rolling her eyes as she held the mic, Max managed to just tilt her mic in her hands, sort of eyeing a resistant Alexa who just stuck her tongue out at Darkjade, as she rubbed Sam’s shoulder. “Well this is a shame, we’re not even four hours into the package but we have to call it a night –“

The bride-to-be suddenly stood up, causing all the girls to look at her.

“Alright,” Vega exclaimed, setting aside the chips she ordered for the girls and the second spiked iced tea she had finished for that evening, as approached the catwalk. “I know I’m the ‘ _Guest of Honor_ ’” she muttered, making quotation mark gestures with her fingers as she walked up the small steps on the side of the elevated pedestal, walking towards the girl holding the mic.

“But since none of you would like to take the mic –“ She turns to Max and holds out her hand, gesturing for the videoke microphone. “How about I call for what Mercenary Tradition always asks for?”

Pursing her lips, trying to stop herself from laughing, Max inquired, “And what is that?”

Vega placed her hands on her hips and smugly said, “That Aeoren owns the microphone for at least five minutes or less.”

To her surprise, a sly sinister teasing smile appeared on Maxine’s lips as she handed over the microphone, saying, “I thought you’d never ask.”

The girls started cheering Aeoren on, asking her to rule the stage, and to slap some stripper’s ass as Max descended from the pedestal. Shaking her head, Vega called out to the women (and the host who took her place on the leather couch, not even hovering nearby like what she did while presiding over the Bridal Shot program), saying, “I will not have a _minister_ administer to me – if you get what I mean!” She waved the microphone around after looking over the Videoke Menu Book that Max handed her before settling on her seat.

“I want good clean fun,” Vega exclaimed sternly, but unable to hide the smile on her face. “You hear me?” She said before throwing the menu book over at her best friend, who caught it with ease.

“Whatever you say,” Max exclaimed as she had the lights dimmed again, gesturing over to the _waistcoat_ who just nodded his head, still standing on the side of the elevator and the call booth that was connected straight to the reception.

That’s when old techno music from the 80’s started blasting from the speakers, causing Vega’s hips to sway as she winked at her sisters, who now have their smart phones out, taking pictures of the bride to be who was about to sing.

 

_Sometimes I feel I've got to_

_Run away_

_I've got to get away_

_From the pain you drive into the heart of me_

_The love we share seems to go nowhere_

_And I've lost my light_

_For I toss and turn_

_I can't sleep at night_

 

This was often out of Vega’s playlist – considering she only had a few songs from the techno era that would fit her taste in music. However, _Soft Cell’s_ “ _Tainted Love_ ” was something she swore she grew up with, having her brother open the television in their shared room to MTV – with that weird video playing in an attempt to wake her up for Elementary School.

And as much as she enjoyed listening to this song, she loved singing it as well – since this was the first time she ever tried it on videoke. The girl’s seemed to enjoy it as well, considering that they started to clap their hands to its catchy beat, cheering the bride-to-be to just continue – their phones up in the air, recording the entire experience.

 

_Once I ran to you,_

_Now I'll run from you,_

_This tainted love you've given_

_I give you all a boy could give you_

_Take my tears and that's not nearly all!_

_Oh! Tainted love..._

 

 

It’s funny how Vega had to adjust the song lyrics to her own pleasing, considering that a man originally sang the song. But what completely egged her on to give the best performance – and probably the last performance she would have with the girls, since she wouldn’t be sure when she’ll be seeing them again after the Melbourne Wedding – since she would like to settle down in London and have a family… so she wasn’t so sure when she would be able to hold a mic carelessly and freely once more, and singing with her sisters.

 

 

_Touch me baby, tainted love_

_Touch me baby, tainted love_

_Tainted love…_

 

 

Despite the song being one of her favorites, somewhere in her brain, Vega knows she chose this song for a reason. A reason she probably didn’t want to recognize – so she just pushed it at the back of her head. But soon as the song was finished, she bowed down to the thunderous applause given by the girls who have now gotten up on their feet – seemingly giving her a standing ovation.

Looking over her shoulder, Vega felt herself making a smug face in reply to the “special treatment” she was given – a first in most Hen’s Do’s since the bride is the one often lambasted and trapped by male strippers – and she _didn’t even earn one Black Minister_ that night.

Getting off the stage, she was smiling brightly as she was clapped on the back and hugged by the girls, congratulating her performance.

“That was amazing Vega!”

“Superb as usual –“

“Jesus Christ, you just fucking stole the show –“

“Again!”

“And –“ Max suddenly had to stop, frowning since the outro wouldn’t stop playing, and the screen that was broadcasting the Music Video for the song hasn’t stopped yet. “Wait a minute –“ She turned to Vega who was now off the stage and was drinking what’s left of her iced tea. “Did you finish the entire song, Vey?”

The woman in the black lace and leather blinked and looked at the projected screens, wondering why a new scroll of words started to appear –

“I did –“ Vega exclaimed as she picked up the mic she left on the catwalk, trying to figure out why it jumped to a whole new song, as she tried pressing cancel on the keypad that was embedded in the device. “I fucking swear I just put on Tainted Love –“

 

 

_Baby, baby_

_Baby, don't leave me_

_Ooh, please don't leave me_

_All by myself_

 

 

The woman was busy trying to press the buttons on the mic in an attempt to warp the song out of the playlist, when she was suddenly startled by the sound of the girls shrieking behind her – louder than what they were doing when she was up the stage – as she looked up in the supposedly dimmed room to find one of the projected screens flashing off, to reveal a tall glass window from the ceiling to the floor – encasing a silhouette of a man against a bright green light behind him – who was rocking his hips to the music.

“What the fu –“

To her surprise, she felt Mari and Lila grip her arms, as if they were affixing her into place – with their iPhones completely out, recording the entire ordeal – as they all suddenly shrieked again, causing the woman to turn her eyes towards the catwalk as the glass window slid down… allowing the stripper to step out in the darkened room and onto the now-lighted catwalk, moving slowly with their long and graceful strides.

“MAXINE!”

Vega found herself bellowing on top of her lungs as she whipped her head at the girl who was standing a person away from her, licking her lips as she had her Samsung phone out – recording the entire ordeal. “I THOUGHT I SAID I DIDN’T WANT STRIPPERS FOR MY SONG –“

The woman couldn’t erase the smile on her face as the stripper got closer, towards the girl – giving them a full glimpse of what he was wearing, that seemed to be a mix of leather and metal, accented by golden vambraces, as he completely made his presence in the Fainting Room – by the thudding sound made by his heavy boots that completely dominated the stage.

“Oh Vey,” Mari exclaimed, completely focused with her filming. “But that’s not a stripper –“ She turned to lean over her friend, winking. “And this one _cost us a little bit extra –_ “

Shaking her head in disbelief and complete utter discomfort at was what happening, with this new stripper (as he wasn’t a _minister_ due to what seemed to be their lanky form, in comparison to the strippers of the _Black Seminary_ whose biceps and chests are quite enlarged than your typical man) running his hands on his thick breastplate-like costume, before settling on his hips, as he rolled and grinded as they danced like a pro, doing a _familiar looking_ routine with their long legs as they hopped and skipped out the stage with their arm movement in sync with their footwork – every move making the girls squeal, having cold trickles of sweat drip down the back of Vega’s neck.

It didn’t help at all when the stripper whose face and torso was seemingly hidden in the darkness, with only lights of the catwalk showing the details of his boots and the long cloak they seemed to be wearing, suddenly knelt down and bent a finger towards the middle of the harem of screaming girls – _seemingly beckoning for Vega to come closer_.

To her surprise, she found herself shaking her head at the mysterious stripper, despite the screaming and squealing of the women who retorted at what she had to say without opening her mouth and just moving her head.

It didn’t help at all when the stripper got back up to his full height after having to crouch down on the catwalk, in an attempt to woo the bride over to him, as he rolled his hips again to the music… his hands slowly travelling up his chest –

 

 

_I've got this burning_

_Yearning, yearning_

_Feeling inside me_

_Ooh, deep inside me_

_And it hurts so bad…_

 

 

That was when the stripper yanked something off his suit – and threw it on the floor.

As it bounced on the lighted path of the catwalk, Vega, who was still sort of had her arms pinned to her sides by the brunette and her redhead bestfriend, could only look in horror as she identified what seemed to be a breastplate – with its familiar black leather crisscrossing the lower portion, with its silver contoured chest-plate adorned with a gold ring –

Vega felt like holding her breath as she looked up where the dancer began to strut down the long catwalk again, as lights on the elevated pedestal where he walked on began to turn on – completely giving her a view of what he was actually wearing – and what horrified her was that _she could recognize that armor from anywhere_.

“ ** _FUCK THIS MAXINE,_** _”_ she felt like screaming as she tried to get a better glimpse of the dancer’s shadowed face – the only thing that she hasn’t seen after the entire ensemble of what they were wearing was revealed to the audience of six women who were screaming their lives away. “ ** _WHY THE FUCK DID YOU FUCKING HIRE A LOKI STRIPPER COSPLAYER –_** “

Max turned to Vega with some mix of a mocking and triumphant expression of her face, as she stood in her place, using her elbows as a tripod to keep her camera still. “A _cosplayer_ , Veggie-pie? You think this is –“ she was laughing too hard amidst the screaming that Vega couldn’t make out what she was supposed to say. “GIRLS! PUSH HER FORWARD!”

To her horror – she saw the Loki stripper jump from the catwalk, bounding towards the girls like a graceful jungle cat – who now sounded like a bunch of screeching hyenas, their screaming completely reverberating in the sound-proofed suite, letting the _Fainting Room_ live up to its name. What made matters worse was how he effortlessly climbed the sturdy round table positioned in front of the black leather couch – causing the girls to back away, falling seated on the cushions, all trembling with excitement.

That was when Vega was pushed forward towards the stripper, and she got a better view of that chiseled chest that was now visible behind the familiar black and green coat that billowed on their legs, as the Loki stripper with the shadowed face suddenly crouched down so that Vega was almost face to face with that ripped torso – as he slipped a hand under her chin, tipping her face up.

His hands then ghosted down her chest as he leaned down on her– not touching at all… but tracing her curves with thin air – before he managed to grab her hourglass necklace, pulling her close. And even though she couldn’t see his face, Vega could feel his breathing against her neck as he lifted the hourglass necklace to his shadowed and unidentifiable face melded with the dark… as a tongue darted out of his mouth to lick her necklace.

She swore she never shivered that hard in her entire life.

But then he rose up as he unclasped his belt, to reveal a small pack of salt hanging from a small container clipped on the leather surface – almost nudging the woman’s face into his crotch, causing Vega to back away, her cheeks completely red.

“I THINK HE WANTS YOU TO DO THE BODY SHOT ON HIM VEGA –“ Lila screamed, as the stripper revealed a pack of salt hanging from his belt, his pants completely looking like a replica of what the _real_ Loki was wearing in the movies, before he slipped out of that long leather coat – throwing it aside. “STRIPPER’S PREROGATIVE!”

Vega felt a lump form on her throat as the stripper unbuttoned his pants, pulling it down to reveal his well-sculpted Adonis belt that made delicious grooves on his hips, as the bride-to-be got a glimpse of his expensive black underwear as he continued to buck his hips in line with her face, as he began to slowly dip those long slender fingers in the pack of salt – smearing it on his oiled left hip.

The poor woman who was put in the middle of it all didn’t know whether she was going dizzy because of the blatant sexual display in front of her, or she was forced to listen to all her girlfriends scream, or maybe because of the fluttery warm feeling that descended from her stomach to her thighs..

It didn’t help how the stripper managed to grab Vega by her shoulders, with a gentle grip to keep her in place and not let her go – as he began to curl his body towards her, bending and rippling to the tune of the music… As the girl felt her body stiffen up after having a complete glimpse of the man’s defined shoulders, prominent collarbones, and that bulging pectorals you wouldn’t expect out of a slender body like theirs…

And not to mention that package found on their crotch… probably rivaling the previous _ministers_ who came out on stage…

 

“IS HE EVEN ALLOWED TO DO THAT –“

“JUST FUCKING DO THE BODY SHOT, VEGA; AND HE’LL LEAVE YOU ALONE –“

“ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY –“

“JUST LICK THE SALT OFF HIS HIP, ALRIGHT?! BE A SPORT –“

 

Making a face as she clenched her jaw, she took a deep breath and looked up at the stripper dressed as the character that was played by her _other_ best-friend – God forbid he does not find out about this – who was probably lucky (or unlucky) not having to see her seductively lick salt off a man masquerading as the character he is known for in the Marvel Universe – considering that this chiseled _talent_ has a _better_ and _juicier_ body than his –

Pushing the thought of that _specific friend_ at the back of her mind, Vega took a deep breath as she shoved off the stripper’s hold on her laced shoulders (ignoring the way he traced the laced patterns with his fingers), before clamping her hands on his waist and bringing her face forward… as she closed her eyes and licked off the trail of salt that decorated his hip bone and the grooves that lead towards his treasure trail – filling her mouth with the taste of oil, the musk of the man, and that tangy taste that was made of the mix of sweat and the salt she needed to take for that _shot_.

Holding the taste on her mouth, she ignored how the stripper’s body stiffened as she ran her tongue on his exposed hip, as she unclenched her hands from his oiled waist – as she did a full turn at her group of friends who were shrieking like maniacs now – burning her ears. Picking up the shot of Tequila the shocked Lila left for her on the table, Vega downed it in one gulp, before slamming it down back on the surface.

Placing her hands on her hips, the girls – sporting shocked and surprised expressions, their screaming stuck in their throats – began to cheer and applaud her again, as Vega sported a smug and triumphant look on her face as she flung her arms to the side, gesturing her victory.

“Nothing I can’t fucking do, bitch!” She bellowed, throwing her hands back down, causing some of the girls to laugh… but she couldn’t help but look at Max who just shook her head ironically, her hands still clamped on the camera _that was still recording_.

Glad and hyped by the fact that she was able to overcome that _shocker_ trap they put up for her on _her own bachelorette night_ , Vega almost completely forgot about the Loki stripper who stood still the entire time, his body frozen ever since the girl’s tongue left his hip – until he managed to place his hands tenderly on her laced shoulders, _before suddenly leaving a quick peck on her cheek_.

Shocked and aghast, the bride-to-be spun around in her heels – peering up at that shadowed face as a hand shot up her face, completely taken aback by what he just did.

What escaped the man’s lips made her blood run cold.

 

“ _It has been an honor dancing for you, Aeoren sissy._ ”

 

Vega felt herself gasp as she stumbled backwards, finding her own balance not to trip on her own heels, as her hands shot up her face, covering her mouth. The man got up from his kneeling position, still standing on the round table, his face still shadowed… until Max saw the commotion and screamed, “LIGHTS ON!”

As the lights blasted on in the entire suite, Vega felt like burning when she caught a full glimpse of him… standing on that table.

It didn’t help how Fred also emerged from the backroom beyond the catwalk, carrying a camera of his own – completely filming _the entire spectacle_ where his best-friend had completely flaunted those seductive dancing _and stripping_ skills that weren’t thought to be possible by the internet.

There was a smug look on his handsome face, as he was wearing a black wig that completely mirrored what the character was wearing during the second installment of Thor. How they hurdled that kind of costume just to be ripped and shredded off his person was a complete mystery to Vega – but what completely made her weak in the knees was how he towered over them all, graceful and _elegant_ even when he is only dressed from the waist down, his body ripped, his chest puffed out with those pectorals big enough for any fangirl to swoon on the spot…

…and considering how red her face was, the more smug and flirty Thomas’ smile had become as he stood there – _triumphant_.

 

Stronger and louder than all the girls combined with their fangirl screaming, Vega’s ear-piercing shriek rang through the air – completely testing the soundproofed walls of the fainting room.

 

 

 

***

 

 

“Where the fuck are you going?!!”

“Somewhere!”

“That’s not really a nice _thank you_ , or a decent _apology_ after having to chase me around the room earlier with a fork when you found out who that stripper was –“

Vega turned around with a murderous look in her eye after having to step out of a back elevator in the _Black Seminary_ , completely stopping Max in her tracks. It didn’t help how Tom’s _ehehehe_ still reverberated in her brain as he crouched on the table where he stood on – where he left him – before she had to excuse herself from the room, red in the face, having found her roommate and best-friend scantily clad as an _actual_ stripper during her own Hen’s Do – and it didn’t help Vega’s conscience or stomach when she realized that she just fucking licked salt off Tom’s exposed hip –

“Auuuurgh!” Vega groaned, tearing at her beautifully permed hair, causing her to tug at the necklace she was wearing, as she paced on the spot. She only ended up releasing the favorite hourglass necklace she always wore, realizing that _Tom licked it too…_

“Come on Vey,” Max said, trying to calm her down. “You look like a mess –“

The girl nervously turned around the black opal ring on her finger that completely matched her dress. “I wouldn’t look _like this_ if I didn’t have _fucking Tom Hiddleston_ as the _fucking Loki stripper during my own fucking song number –_ “

The girl found herself choking on her words as she covered her mouth, making Max think whether the gagging sounds Vega made was the woman throwing up a little bit in her mouth. Biting her lip in reply, completely giving Max relief after finding out that Vega was just randomly trying to catch her breath, her roommate turned on her heels again as she hastened through the back corridor – heading for the exit.

Vega walked so fast ahead of her Honorary Maid of Honor that she managed to get a Bouncer to hail a taxi cab for her. However, before Max could even reach her, she looked at her hands and saw how much it shook… and she couldn’t even talk about that whirling warm cloud that had descended from her chest to her center, making her want to lock herself up in her boyfriend’s hotel room, pin the man down and –

She looked up at the black cab that was parked in front of her, when she felt Max’s hand land gently on her shoulder, causing her to stop shaking momentarily.

“Come on Vega,” she uttered calmly. “You’re shaking like crazy. Come back upstairs and have a glass of water –“

“I can’t go back up upstairs!” She said violently, shaking her hands on purpose, almost knocking off Max’s hold on her shoulder, causing the woman to back away. Seeing what she has done, Vega lifted her face to look at her best friend, recognizing the shock that mirrored her own. “I can’t – I fucking can’t… While _he’s_ there…”

Max widened her eyes, recognizing the expression, the emotion, the feelings…

And how Vega stood there, purse under her arm, trying to hide her own shaking… as she looked at her hands… Max swore she saw it all before… And she saw it _in the flat that night that she and Fred reconciled over that home cooked dinner_. There was a fire in her eyes that cannot be quenched, lips parted, like a prey who just found out that she was being hunted…

“You…” Max whispered, holding onto her friend’s arm. “You liked that didn’t you…”

Vega found herself shaking her head, backing away, her parted lips quivering…

“You liked what _Tom just did –_ “

“I DO NOT –“ She suddenly exploded, shrugging off Max’s hold on her arm. “I DID NOT –“

Finding the power to calm herself down, Vega brought her hands on her chest, clenching her jaw, as she placed a hand on the doorknob of the cab, seemingly startling the impatient cabbie inside. “I can’t –“ she stuttered, ignoring the shocked and convinced look on Max’s face, having figured out _this little secret that comes out in Vega’s body language even if she does not dare speak about it._ “I can’t talk about this right now –“

Before Max could even say a word, the woman had gotten into the cab.

Quickly moving on her feet, she managed to catch the door with her hand, without Vega having to slam it closed – which could have caused her a nail, or a finger. Finding herself staring face to face with her roommate, Max cried out – “Look at yourself, Vey!” She gestured up at the obscure establishment, trying to reason with her as a last resort. “You can’t just leave – you can’t _leave him there!_ He’s your _best friend too_!”

There was a moment of hesitation on Vega’s face – and that’s what made Max’s heart jump. But gaining control of the door, Vega looked up and said –

“ ** _THAT’S THE PROBLEM!_** ”

Yanking Max’s grip off the door, the woman managed to slam it closed – hands still shaking as she quickly gave the cabbie directions to her next destination. Before Max could do anything again to stop her, the cab sped away.

There was a trace of desperation in the woman’s eyes as she watched the Guest of Honor, the Bride-To-Be, run away from her own Hen’s Do – a first once more – after finding out that her _best-friend_ just did the strip tease.

That’s when a small mischievous and hopeful smile appeared on Maxine’s face.

 

 

 

***

 

 

_I’m going to lose my virginity to him tonight._

 

That was all that was running in Vega’s mind as she tried to keep her poise on the way to her fiancé’s hotel room, getting a bit dizzy with the amount of spiked iced tea she has – as well as the rush of tequila. It didn’t help that the taste of salt was still in her mouth, and she tried not to think about it considering how she got it on her tongue –

Vega shook her head, all her senses tingling.

 

_I’m going to fuck him tonight._

_Screw the wedding night._

_I’ll get him laid tonight._

 

Pulling out the shared hotel room key out of her purse, her hands shook as she opened the door to her fiance’s suite; ignoring the dimness of the light and the rush of traffic that could be heard down the streets below. She was about to take her coat off, feeling the intense sexuality her dress was emanating onto her (and not the sexual surge she got from that _Loki stripper_ she was face to face with earlier), she was about to call out her fiancé’s name – when she _heard someone else call out his_.

 

“ _Oh_ _Gale…_ ”

 

Vega once more found her blood run cold.

Eyes adjusting in the darkness… she found a familiar looking sight… sprawled all over the dimly lit hotel room floor. She could see the gym pants her fiancé often loves to wear, lying on the floor of the bed with the upturned duvet… as well as a pair of familiar-looking white moccasins on the floor. There was a trail of clothes leading towards the hotel room bath… that consisted of a sweatshirt that clearly was one of Gale’s favorites, a _blue blazer… that was covered by a white cocktail strapless dress._

 

“ _Call me by my real name…_ ” he grunted.

“ _Oh my God, Sebastian!”_

 

The shower could be heard inside the bath.

As well as the soft grunts of a man while grinding, overriding the soft squeals and moans of a woman… with their wanton voices reverberating all over the enclosed bath… the sound of running water slightly drowning their sexual sounds of passion…

It just so happened that they forgot to completely close the door to the bath.

Vega got a glimpse of what she considered something even more painful than _finding a guy she fancied in bed with his supposed plus one two years ago_ – as she saw the face of her fiancé, his mouth parted as he has his lover pinned against the walls of the bath, his lips pressed against her bare neck… as a look of pained frustration and pleasure was etched on his lover’s face as her legs were conveniently wrapped around his waist, allowing him full and complete access to her… as he furiously continued thrusting and grinding in between her thighs, causing her to slide up and down the white wall of the bath as she desperately clawed at his bare back… leaving red lines that could never be hidden.

 

“ _Seb! Harder –_ “

“ _Oh Becca, love… come for me…_ ”

“ _Sebastian please! Own me! I’m yours!_ ”

“ _Yes… Yes! Oh Becca… All mine!_ ”

 

Tears began to sting Vega’s eyes as she tore her line of sight from the bathroom door, after having a glimpse of the man she was supposed to marry – in a sexually compromised position with the woman she considered her sister, having that moment she meticulously planned in the cab… even a year before ever since she said yes to her fiancé.

Hands shaking once more – not because of anxiety but of pain – as she brought them up to her mouth in order to hush herself from whimpering… Vega quietly stumbled out of the hotel room, completely unnoticed… ignoring the cries of passion coming from the hotel room where she spent most of her nights with the man she loved.

Closing the door to the hotel room silently not enough for the clandestine, treacherous couple to hear her… she slid down the wall beside it, holding herself together… wondering how her emotions could just change from red to black…

As she was left all alone, sobbing silently in the darkness of the hall, blanketed in pain and loneliness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIRTY ONE PAGES.  
> LONGEST CHAPTER YET.
> 
> Rebecca calls Vega “ _insan_ ”, which is short for “ _pinsan_ ” that means cousin in Tagalog.
> 
> As for the songs, I’d like to thank Pushi for introducing me to “ _Jenny_ ” by Studio Killers, as I just had to include it in here. If you would notice most of the songs – they are songs originally dedicated to Thain and Aeoren. The girls were secretly singing to the two during Vega’s own Hen’s Do.
> 
> Also, the version Vega sang of “ _Tainted Love_ ” is a mash-up by Soft Cell, the other song being “ _Where Did Our Love Go_ ” – the title of this chapter.
> 
> However, despite everything, I felt like Britney Spears’ “ _Perfume_ ” was perfect for how this chapter ends.


	50. Lace & Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom comes home after a rowdy night with Fred and the girls, continuing on with the Bachelorette Party Vega left. But as he prepares for bed, he hears a sob in another room that makes him realize that he's not alone in the flat.

Aside from its luxurious VIP rooms and suites, the _Black Seminary_ is known for their hygienic quarters that are reserved for the highest ranking talents… and of course, the guests. The most expensive suites come with its sound-proofed rooms where honored VIPs and their _minsters_ can fool around a little bit more – without having to disturb the other guests. Considering that it’s a Ladies’ Club, the class and the sophistication tends to match the preferences of its most luxurious patrons.

Now the famed and hidden _Fainting Room_ comes with a wide shower room with the most expensive features that would often be found in the most established Class-A, lavish flat units in Soho. Complete with a tub and a separately installed shower enclosed by glass dividers… it is a dream come true for even the naughtiest guest who would like to do more than the usual.

This wasn’t Thomas’s first time in a Ladies’ Club (and god forbid him to talk about the first time), but this was the first time he entered the bath of a Ladies’ Club’s luxurious bath.

After his little “performance” stint as requested by the girls (albeit Max and Mari being beside themselves giggling the moment he said “Yes” without any hesitation at all… after all who would miss it for the world – seeing the expression of your most beloved best-friend’s face once the lights turn on, realizing that it’s no ordinary stripper or cosplayer – but it was in fact _you_ , who also played the character on several occasions as well. It made him wonder what effect it would have if he did it in Comic Con… but of course there are some things reserved for private eyes…); Tom had to pack away that wig he loaned from a hairstylist friend who worked on a particular Marvel film with him, (having styled it perfectly to match the character he was going to play) as well as that expensive costume he and Fred had to get from an amateur designer online, who had skills that would make Marvel’s propsmates cry. The costume almost cost them an arm and a leg – if they weren’t filthy rich British bastards.

With those put aside, the man felt that he deserved a cold shower – after having to leave the girls who were busy trying to calm a furious Vega down, after she conveniently turned away from the _dancer_ who just tore off half of his armor off in the middle of a strip tease. The woman managed to ignore him the entire time – _a defense mechanism_ , Tom thought as he chuckled – as she picked up the nearest utensil to her left hand, and chased the Honorary Maid of Honor around the room – until Fred had to get off the catwalk to tear them both apart.

However, taking away the slight disappointment of having the bride-to-be completely ignore him after that well-timed dance routine he had to practice in the flat for days (knowing she won’t be coming over anyways), with Max and Fred laughing in the sidelines – (and then retreating in the former’s room so “not to bother him”, but we all know what they did), the man allowed the cold spray of the shower wash away the body oil he rubbed on himself to prepare his physique for the role – considering that despite being no match to the _Ministers_ of the _Black Seminary_ , his added bulk for his latest theatre (and film characters) just gave him enough edge for the ladies to start drooling over his sculpted chest and chiseled arms.

But as he closed his eyes and turned his head up against the stream of water falling over his head, drenching his honey-blonde hair, pouring down his pronounced clavicles and trickling down the curves of his chest… All he could think about was how the _guest of honor_ that night initially managed to keep her calm as he strutted down the stage – as he found awe and not any tinge of disgust in her brown eyes that were almost swallowed by the darkness of the room the moment he began his routine… And this was during the entire time that his face was still hidden in the shadows, the exact lighting Fred requested so that he would be able to finish his entire dance, without Vega losing her mind – or her patience.

 _Could it be,_ he thought remotely, biting those thin yet luscious lips as he ran a hand down from the long column of his neck… tracing the prominent veins that appeared on either side as he clenched his jaw, dragging his hand down his pronounced pectorals… till he managed to let it rest down his navel… as he allowed his other hand to lather his body with soap… _Could it be that she’d finally snap…_

He felt like he could draw blood with how he bit down his own lip… _wishing he was sinking his teeth onto someone else’s lip…_ Considering how he saw those pouty lips glisten at the flash of lights, as he thought how that mouth would have probably been smeared with those sweet tasting gloss that filled his mouth with strawberries many months ago…

But what made Thomas grit his teeth was the image of the woman clamping her small and delicate hands on his waist, her nails still leaving moon-shaped indents on his hips… as he felt his entire body weaken and at the same time get flushed by lightning and fire… when she stuck out that cherry tongue and licked a stripe upwards across his left hip… letting the salt scrape up against his bare slicked skin, sending an electrified sensation to all his nerve ending, almost having him lose control at the one moment – where Vega touched him in a way she has never touched him before…

So erotically –

 

“ _Hnghhh!_ ”

 

The man slapped his left hand on the wet shower wall, as he clenched his jaw and squinted his eyes shut – causing his right hand that was resting on his navel to go lower, past his treasure trail as he grabbed his girth… knowing he has to find _some release_ if he has to savor the image of the woman he couldn’t get over with, becoming intimate with his naked body.

 

 

 

***

 

 

Thomas was all smiles, the moment he stepped out of the VIP backroom showers.

He dressed in his finest white dress shirt, first two buttons opened, as he strutted off the catwalk (that was currently occupied by three _Ministers_ who were dancing to “I’m Too Sexy”, making the girls squeal with delight) in those unbelievably tight slacks, excusing himself towards the small staircase to the left in order to take his place between the girls who greeted him like a hero.

As much as Mari or Lila couldn’t look him straight in the face without laughing, Alexa was clearly avoiding his gaze, and Sam was too bothered in her own mind to even appear bashful in his presence at all – Tom realized the effect he had on the girls and _how he must have embarrassed himself in the process by stripping almost to his underwear almost half an hour ago_.

Well, everyone seemed to have gotten a bit gigglish ever since he turned up once more – fully clothed; causing the man to turn red. Well save for the couple quietly making out beside him, completely ignoring the strippers slowly taking off their speeds and throwing it at the other women… and of course a queasy-looking Alex (who wanted to disappear after having quite a smoke outside, completely missing Tom’s performance) whose hands were shaking as he attempted to play 2048 on his iPhone.

“You okay there, mate?” Tom found himself asking the younger man, who looked up at him – clearly avoiding have to look at the stage, as he subtly tilted his head, a vague form of agreement to his statement.

“I will be –“ his voice shook, as he reached out for the glass that was on the flat counter on the back of the round leather couch, just behind Tom’s head. “Please just pass the Scotch –“

Offering to pour his friend a glass, Tom found himself raising his eyebrow as he sported a concerned expression on his face; subtly looking at Samantha who clearly wasn’t enjoying the entire show anymore… randomly looking at a projected advertisement to her left, despite a stripper trying to catch her attention.

However, once he was done, he found himself wiping his hands on his thighs… looking around, realizing that something seems to be off…

“You alright?”

It was his best-friend’s croaked-up bedroom voice that knocked him out of his concerns, as he turned to his left and saw Fred looking at him worriedly – despite his woman necking him, smearing her mouth against his collarbones, after having to unbutton his shirt and expose part of his chest. Feeling completely uncomfortable having to watch the entire ordeal, Thomas wasn’t able to hide the displeasure on his face.

“I just –“ he sighed, looking away from the intimate moment being shared by his two friends on the couch, wondering why they couldn’t wait till they got home or something. (But considering the rowdy and sexual atmosphere in the room, this was Max’s way of ensuring to Fred that she didn’t grind her ass into another man’s crotch.) “I’m just worried if I did something wrong –“

To his surprise, he heard someone clear her throat in the tangle of his Scottish friend’s burly physique, as Maxine emerged from within the man’s chest, wearing a sly smile on her red-lipsticked mouth.

“Oh lover boy, you did just fine,” she teased Tom, sitting up on Fred’s lap, ignoring her boyfriend’s boner poking up her dress. “You should have seen her run for a cab – she looked like a miserable frustrated wreck –“

Wincing, Fred turned to the woman curled up in his arms, interrupted in the middle of giving him a delicious hickey – with her words rendering his best-friend seated beside him completely slack-jawed with his new discovery. “That isn’t fair,” Fred found himself murmuring, scrunching up those thick eyebrows, before turning towards Tom who managed to close his parted mouth. “And it’s pretty rude for her to just come bounding out of a Bachelorette Do that had been set up just for her – “

To both boys’ surprise, Max picks up the glass where Fred had been drinking, smearing her lipstick on the spot where often dips his mouth… before turning to the two, saying, “Why else would she be in a hurry to leave?” Her eyes glint towards Tom, a mischievous grin forming on her face, despite her lipstick a bit smeared – both on the glass and her boyfriend’s neck. “That girl is _so obviously sexually frustrated._ ”

Tom gulped, as Fred turned to the woman, trying to ignore the way he felt himself harden against her thigh, seeing how she was seated on top of him. “How do you even know?” he found himself asking, a bit of jealously playing in his mind as he wondered if his woman was a bit too drunk to be flirting with his best-friend at such an hour.

Slipping off the Scot to get a better look at the two men, she managed to straighten her dress, muttering, “Haven’t you two even noticed it?” She looked at the two surprised faces and said, “Vega – is often on the run when she’s turned on and she doesn’t know how to deal with it –“ She snaps her head to the thespian and says, “Tom. What did she do when you first kissed her?”

“She didn’t talk to me for three days.”

The woman nodded and added, “And what happened when we got her trapped in our hotel room and you were supposed to come and get her so you could talk that thing out?”

The blue-eyed Brit felt himself blink, as his gaze travelled downwards on the floor. “She…” he bit his lip. “She ran away…”

“And for the record,” Max exclaimed as she poured more Scotch from the bottle (that is now being ignored by Alexis) into her shared glass with Fred. “That night when you first brought home a woman in your room?” She turned to peer at the man as-a-matter-of-factly. “The one where you warned me to _distract_ the new roomie from coming home as some _sort of strategy –_ “

Tom felt himself turn red. He did text Max on purpose because he knows that she’d be with Vega, and was completely pleased when he found out that the two were hanging around in a nearby pub. But he made sure that both were snug in both beds when be brought home that woman he met at a prestigious event…

“Do you want to know what she did?” The Hispanic girl exclaimed, chuckling a bit, causing her disbelieving lover to raise an eyebrow at her, realizing that maybe she’s drunk. “She motherfucking went into my room, grinding her teeth, sweating cold – and was cussing words in a language I could not understand even before she could open my door!”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Tom turned to Fred who looked completely surprised with Max’s stories that used to be just blurry little anecdotes whenever she would talk to him about it over text-messages. But seeing the entire picture, Fred turned to look at his friend again… and saw how it began to dawn on his best-friend’s face… with a small smile forming on his mouth…

“Good job, loverboy!” Max raised her glass to Thomas. “You and your talented hips, God bless them! If you’re lucky enough, she may be calling off her wedding as we speak –“

“Isn’t that what Stag Nights are for?”

The brunette ended up slapping the Scot’s arm. “OH SO THAT’S WHAT YOU THINK IT IS, FREDERICK?”

“No –“

“SO WOULD YOU DARE –“

“Oh Maxikins you’re drunk…”

“Yeah,” the girl glowered at the tall brunette. “But drunk enough to fuck you –“

As the two lovers managed to grab at each other’s clothes – Max at Fred’s collar, and the man at her dress, it seemed as if they were about to get into another physical fight, only to end up devouring each other’s mouths. Blatantly looking away to ignore their public display of frustration, Thomas found himself being lost in his thoughts – Lila’s singing of “I Love You Like A Love Song” that is accompanied by squeals with how she’s receiving a lapdance from a minister being drowned out by the noises in his head…

Tom could not help but think about that piece of hope floating within him being shaken by a tidal wave and a storm as it floated within his heart that was thumping wildly within his ribcage… somewhat taking that hope out of sea and into land.

And knowing he may be winning in a war that he appears to be losing, he silently smiled in the darkness... biting his lip with anticipation.

 

 

 

***

 

 

An hour and thirty minutes later, the girls were still rowdy despite the amount of alcohol running in their veins.

They even managed to drag the entire scene to the Coffee Shop that was supposed to close down an hour before. Amidst all the giggling, the girls teasing Tom on how he’s donned every form of Loki and “Sexy Norse God” was the best, the man could only joke how they haven’t even seen “Stripper Loki’s Jotun Form yet”… causing all the women to start shrieking in the sparsely populated Café.

As much as he loved how all of them were fawning over him, how they praised him for that really sexy display, some of them even chiding him on how he hides quite a naughty side to him… He couldn’t help but overhear some of them saying…

 

“Oh how I wish Aeo was with us”

“Darn why did she have to leave early?”

“Early appointment said Max”

“Aww but she could have stayed…”

“She must have chickened out when she found out it was Thain…”

 

Amidst the laughter, and the hype the mix of coffee and Scotch was giving him, Tom couldn’t help but look down… Feeling a little bit abandoned, considering that his best-friend was busy exchanging sweet nothings with his girlfriend on the sidelines, and his _other_ best-friend had completely eluded his presence despite his marvelous and risqué performance he set specifically for her (thinking how he always wanted to _tease_ Vega that way, in his hopes that they’d end up together, but knowing he’d have to let her go since she made _that_ decision… he found that this was the only way to fulfill even _his_ own fantasy)… He couldn’t help but feel a little bit bitter after finding out that she ran off _once again_.

 _Typical Vega_ , he whispered in the recesses of his mind, although he found the power to smile upon remembering that beautiful look of awe on her face – something she couldn’t hide, the moment he walked out from one of the screens and strutted towards her… Cherishing the way she was completely stuck in a daze, just staring at his perfect form…

Once more, everything was getting out of hand – with the girls laughing out loud, cheering and jeering at each other, some of them fighting over some of the _ministers_ in _The Black Seminary_ earlier, specifically the Hispanic-looking one with the big tanned muscles and the long black hair. The thespian found himself exchanging worried looks with Alexis from across their tables in fear that the exasperated-looking barista would eventually have to throw them out at 2 am, when all of a sudden – Mari held on to Lis and started gagging.

And we all know that based on tradition – once Marianne balks, the party is over.

As the girls retired, with the twins exchanging heartfelt goodnights with the rest of the gang (except for Sam who refused to look in Alexis’ direction, despite the young man stealing a glance now and then); Tom found himself all on his own again – after finding Max and Fred laughing with each other on the curb. About to turn around leaving the two on their own after hearing of their plans to spend the night at the Scot’s flat – Tom was about to head home on his own, when he had to turn his head around upon hearing Fred call his name.

“Going back to the flat, young man?” He tried so hard to sound like an old geezer, eliciting another giggle from the brunette who held on his arm, trying to pull him towards a parked cab.

The blue-eyed blonde, found himself smiling, as he shooed his friends away, muttering, “Come on guys, go on – it’s late. You know where you can find me if you need me –“

The man then felt himself stop in his tracks, seeing how Fred paused to smile gently at his friend, as he stood rooted on his spot on the curb, ignoring the way the smaller brunette drunkenly tugging at his arm, wanting to go somewhere.

Calling out to Tom, he exclaimed, “You don’t have to be alone.”

The smile somewhat faded from the blonde’s eyes.

“At least not tonight,” he exclaimed, subtly winking at him. With that gesture inciting a naughty thought, Thomas couldn’t help but look down with a smile.

It has always been Frederick who was aware of his little _naughty_ escapades. Ever since the start, from the time that they first met in that dorm room having caught the man making out with a Business Major as he snuck in with his ton of books on Byron and Hemingway; Tom never expected that this man would become his friend for life. But knowing him inside out, Frederick knew that despite Tom’s initial response to loneliness and disappointment back in his youth was to find himself entangled in the arms of another woman… the Scot suddenly saw a change in the man, a glow of certainty and resolve, as if he matured even further.

“Go have some fun for yourself for a change,” Fred said. “You don’t need to keep pandering to your friend’s needs. We’re alright. You need to take care of your own needs… or have _someone_ who is willing to. There’s gotta be someone in that black book of yours –“

“I told you,” Tom said as-a-matter-of-factly. “I have gotten rid of that and that _door_ had been long closed…”

There was a solemnity in how Fred nodded that somewhat set’s Tom’s heart at peace – knowing that he understood him.

And with that, he returned to the flat – all by his lonesome, a little drunk, a bit caffeinated, but somewhat having calmed down (after all the excitement that has happened earlier) and content with what he was able to _accomplish_ the night before. Despite the turnabout of events, _he was satisfied_.

Looking around at the silence of the flat, he changed out of the white dress shirt and slacks that still smelled fresh, considering that he showered just a few hours earlier. Slipping into a cozy black shirt that wasn’t too loose and wasn’t too tight, the man found himself pulling on his pair of jeans that wasn’t in the laundry, before contemplating of listening to his playlist on his iPod before going to bed… while he planned to prepare himself a nice cuppa.

He waited for the whistle of the kettle before pouring it his favorite mug, as he headed over the couch that had been unoccupied for quite a long while.

Taking a sip, enjoying the silence that was brought about the wee hours of the morning, Thomas leaned back against the leather couch, setting his mind at peace, trying to cleanse his mind of the various flow of emotions and thoughts saturating his mind, of the Hen’s Do, of a woman’s scent, of a girl’s expression, of their laughter, of their voice, of the smell of coffee… _everything_ … so he can prepare for bed and sleep his worries away –

When all of a sudden, his tranquility was suddenly interrupted by the sound of something scuffling, before it was followed by a loud thump, and then _a soft sob_ …

The man’s eyelids flew open, as those orbs of blue darted from the ceiling to the living room, making him think twice if he was really alone.

Straightening up on his seat, he tried to find clues around the flat that indicated that his nightmares weren’t real and it’s all just his imagination – when he noticed one particular detail he failed to see the moment he arrived home: Max’s door was flung wide open, her duvet in disarray, clothes on the floor, some leaking out of her laundry basket. His own door was standing open at a certain angle, considering that he’d been in there earlier.

However, the room beside his – the one unoccupied for a long time, ever since that day he came home with a brand new iPhone from the Apple Store, after that night Max and Fred made up… was firmly closed.

Scrunching his brows, the man stood up from the couch and took delicate steps towards it, ear turned towards it… wondering if that was where he heard the noises from.

However, that was when he heard the sounds of someone sniffling – causing his heart’s pace to quicken.

He raised a hand to knock on Vega’s door, but upon lifting it – the man realized how much it was shaking. Clenching it – he found himself moving his jaw in the same movement… as he rapped his knuckles gently at the surface of his other roommate’s door.

“Vega?”

That’s when he pressed his ear – and heard the soft sniffling stop.

He summoned his courage to ask another question.

“Vega, are you alright?”

Amidst the silence, he can feel his heart pounding against his chest.

“ _What do you want?!_ ”

He felt like squinting, completely taken aback by the woman’s violent tone. But what worried him even more was the sound of her voice, the way it seemed so choked up. As he had experiences with people trapped behind closed doors, and being on the other side of it – the last thing he wants to experience was karma.

Flexing his fingers again, his blue eyes moved to look at the knob, as he reached out and gripped it, about to turn it and open the door. “I’m coming in –“

“ _No_ ,” a shaky voice was heard from within the room. “ _Go away –_ “

Not heeding the person on the other side of the door’s warning, Tom opened the door slightly and stuck his head in – completely worried why on earth would his other female roommate would be reduced to tears at such a time when the last time he saw her – she was wearing a look that screamed of shock and horror, and the last thing he heard was that she was shaking in fury as she walked away and stepped in a cab. However, he couldn’t help but worry that maybe her tears were caused by what had happened her earlier at the Ladies’ Club –

Her room was tidy, and her sheets seem fixed and unused, despite the black dress she was wearing earlier was lain out on the bed, as if she just got out of them. He looked around, squinting his eyes in the dim light of her lamp, trying to find a trace of his roommate, considering that she wasn’t on the bed… when he caught a glimpse of a shuddering white figure on the floor.

However, nothing prepared Tom for what he saw the moment he settled those worried blue eyes on her person.

She was sitting on the carpeted surface, as she looked up at him with red swollen lids with smeared eye-shadow, those chocolate eyes widening the moment she realized that it was him, as she gathered her dress closer to her person – making him take a second look… _only to realize that she was swaddled in beautiful tresses of white, silver clasps adorning her almost bare shoulders, as she was a vision with her skirt spread across the floor – showing the complete enchantment of Reba Trenton’s Wedding Gown_.

“Vega –“ Even Tom’s voice shook as he struggled to hold on to her door, swaying either because of the shock on his face upon finding her sniffling and sobbing like an abandoned kitten, or because of the fact that despite the tears and the crestfallen look on her face, she simply took his breath away by just being _in that dress_. “What – Why –“

The loss of words from her male roommate – the one she refused to see after everything that took place in _The Black Seminary_ , only caused Vega to purse her lips and bitterly tear her eyes away from him, as she suddenly welled up with tears. Her hair fell about her shoulders in a lush mess, making him realize that she didn’t include the veil during this fitting session of hers… as he tried to open his mouth and speak once more, only to find his voice being taken away with how the woman stared at her full length mirror that stood in a corner – reflecting her beautiful vision, as she bitterly blinked back tears that currently were a mystery to Tom.

Releasing his hand from the door, knowing that she doesn’t want to look at him, the man took a deep breath and exclaimed out loud, “ _Vega, what’s wrong?_ ”

There was a silence that could not be explained as he spoke, as she refrained to look at his direction, still glancing at her reflection in the mirror, refusing to say a word. However, the more she saw of herself in the gown… the more she started to sob again, becoming inconsolable every second…

The man felt his shoulders sag, as he didn’t hesitate to move towards her as he knelt on the floor, gently placing his hands on her shoulders as he tried to have her look up to him, raise that head like she always does whenever she sees him, lift her head up and smile… But with the way a hand shot up her mouth to assist her sobbing, the woman trembled with pain akin to a child left by her mother as she began to shake from head to toe… pushing the man to wrap his arms around her, holding her close as he found a seat beside her, sprawling those long legs in another direction just so he wouldn’t get in the way of her dress…

“Hush, Hush” he whispered, no longer caring if she dared to tremble or push him away, but amazingly Vega forgot about everything – the fact that Tom was holding her, the fact that she was running away from him the night before… _everything._ It worried the man that _she was too devastated_ to even feel awkward _after everything that happened that night_ that she just allowed him to comfort her and hold her at a time like that…

“Vega, Vey, darling,” he spoke into her tuft of black hair. “Come on, tell me what’s wrong…”

The girl just ended up burying her head against his arm, she despondently shakes her head and somewhat tries to push him away with what’s left of her energy … only to end up limping back against the crook of his neck, her sobs getting more and more softer… but her heart getting heavier by the minute, as there was no way you could erase the image floating in your head, once it broke your heart…

Easing himself out of the embrace, he managed to try to get her to talk, even if everything that escaped the girl where sobs and whimpers, not to mention how she couldn’t look into his eyes…

“Vega,” he softly spoke to her, cupping her face with his hands as he lifted her chin so that he can look in her eyes – the man was momentarily rendered mute upon seeing that she still wore that glinting silver hourglass necklace that he painstakingly singled out for his routine, the moment he saw her standing there. But without appearing fazed or distracted, he looked back into those watery brown eyes and continued on with his determined speech to snap her out of her snuffling.

“Vega, you can tell me what’s wrong…” Tom gently whispered. “Let me comfort you…”

Catching her breath in the middle of sobs and hiccups, the girl found the power to look straight at him, and it made Tom realize that _this was worse than his supposed fear with what happened at the Ladies’ Club_. And for her to break down like this, it made him even more worried about the girl…

“Darling?” he uttered softly, hoping to snap her out of her dazed look.

Choking back a sob, the words that escaped the woman sounded more like a knife cutting through skin…

“G-Gale cheated on me…” Her lips were parched and dry as she tried to speak out those painful words, as she saw Tom’s face change from something tender to something akin to shock. “H-He w-was in h-his Hotel R-Room…” That was when the woman started tearing up again, her lip quivering. “W-With B-Becca… and th-they… they…”

She couldn’t finish the sentence at all.

She just let out this aching sigh as she closed her eyes, tears flowing down her cheeks and onto the crooks of his fingers, as she began to weep again, falling back into a depressive cycle as her best-friend stood there holding her, a new fire blazing in his veins as the severity of the sin began to dawn in his head. Seeing through white fury, Tom found himself being snapped out of it upon seeing the woman clench and unclench her hands as she broke down again into a violent sob.

“Oh Vega,” Tom felt panic rising as he released his hands on her face and pulled her closer, allowing her to bury her face and stain his shirt with her tears as her desperate wails that only came out after those three hours of blindly trying to get a cab and stumbling into the flat in the dark. “Vega, darling… I’m sorry you had to go through that awful ordeal… Oh darling, hush…”

The girl shook in his arms several more times until her crying died down, but her right hand gripping his sleeve tightly, bunching up the cloth in her fist, her sadness and anger written in the wrinkles of the man’s clothing.

Rising from his chest, eyes completely swollen, what seemed to be a bride looked more like a widow at a funeral… slowly changing into an angry and jilted lover who was left at the altar as she brought a fist down on the floor, cushioned by her long, ballooning skirt… as she tried so hard not to strike her best-friend on his chest.

“I’m so stupid!” The words that escaped her mouth was now filled with fury, as she found the courage through her anger to speak in whole sentence. “I know…” She sniffled once more, calming down for a bit, gripping her dress. “I’m so stupid…”

Tom wanted to push back her hair that now fell in tangles in front of her face, try to bring her back to the light, pull her out of her sadness… “Oh Vey…”

“How can I be so stupid?!” Vega suddenly burst out as she slammed the floor with both her fists and started sobbing once more, sinking in the endless cycle.

A sigh could only escape her roommate as he drew her back in his arms again, attempting to momentarily heal her heartbreak as he placed an arm around her back while tangling his other hand in her hair, as he allowed her to use him as her comfort blanket… letting her cry out all that anguish and that frustration as he sat there… wondering why did she ever get in this mess in the first place…

“It’s alright to cry, sweetheart,” Tom spoke, those blue eyes sporting a glare as he stared at a corner, wanting to tear a sandy-haired man apart. “You can keep crying all you want, I’ll wait until you calm down…” He felt his heart become light upon hearing the sobbing die down from the heap of sadness snuggled against his chest. “No need to talk ,” he whispered against that dark hair.“Just let it all out –“

“He was fucking her in the shower,” came the monotonous voice that came from the heap in his arms. Vega has calmed down, but the shock has now rendered her blank. “They didn’t even notice me –“

Tom would have swore he saw red at that moment, and he would have stormed out of the flat to beat up a man whom he barely knew if he had his phone and hotel address. But realizing that Vega needs him more than ever and vengeance will get him nowhere, he let his anger subside and let justice pave its own way… though he prayed and gritted his teeth that Vega would find her way out of that destructive relationship…

“Do you want me to deal with him?” That was the first word that escaped Tom’s mouth once Vega had calmed down in his arms. “Do you want someone to take care of that bastard for you –“

The girl, tear-stained and all, rose from her position of being cradled against his person, with a look of horror on her face as she repeatedly shook her head. “No –“ Tom felt this vision of her retaliating somewhat painful with the fact that she may still have feelings for him – “Tom, no,” she pleaded, placing her hands on his thighs, trying to balance herself as she sat up. “You can’t –“

A really foreboding and ominous laugh escapes the man, causing the girl who was desolate a few minutes ago to stop and stare at him worriedly, as if he just lost a screw. For a moment, Vega saw someone who wasn’t her best-friend, as if something else had taken over him, whether it’s the Anti-Christ, that homicidal Norse God, or that suave Bond-Villain-ish from the Jaguar Ad.

Just when she thought she could never get any more uncomfortable, and what could be worse – be trapped in a hotel room with her evil fiancée and the treacherous, backstabbing Maid of Honor fucking each other… or in a flat with the Devil himself. But then all of a sudden, Tom stopped that dastardly laughing and smiled ominously at her. “Oh darling,” he started, trying to assure her. “You know I wouldn’t do such a thing –“

The woman blinked confusingly through her tears.

“I’ll have someone else do it for me –“

The woman’s eyes widened in fear and shook her head at him insistently. This somewhat made the smile on his face fade away, considering that instead of hitting him on the arm or berating him for doing such a thing, Vega opt to just shake her head, look sadly down at her dress, and bite her lower lip.

“I was kidding you know,” he whispered, touching her hand, causing her to look up at him – calculatingly with those dark chocolate eyes. Knowing that he got her attention, he found himself entangling his fingers around her hand as he moved closer and made his point – “But you would have to agree that no self-respecting man would do that to the woman he wishes to marry…”

Hearing his words, the woman just looked away, her pain still clearly evident on the lines on her face.

“Do you really think he loves you, Vega?” Tom tried reasoning out with her, as he sat up from leaning against the edge of her bed, as they both sat on the floor. “What kind of man claims that he loves you and then ends up fucking the Maid of Honor –“

“I get it,” the bitterness in her tone was apparent. And as she looked away, she knew she couldn’t face the man once more since she started to tear up again, her face turning red after holding in all that anger from Gale’s Hotel to their flat. “I get it…” She took a shaky breath, trying to compose herself. “This is all my fault.”

The way her voice faltered caused Tom to lean towards her again, holding her arm. But she did not pay heed to him at all and continued on berating herself, saying how she was the weak pillar in the relationship, causing it to crumble.

“I should have followed him –“ she said remorsefully, clenching her hands into fist. “I should have followed him to Melbourne. It was a sign – he must have been testing me,” she gasped again, her voice faltering into sobs, as Tom looked at her, face contorted in disbelief with every word she has said. “He must have been thinking if I was worth his time and found me insufficient, so he found someone else –“

“Would you listen to yourself?” Tom would have bellowed, but it wasn’t the right time to lose his patience right now. With his brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed at her, the man couldn’t take any more of her self-pity, when clearly she is locked in an abusive relationship that was devoid of love. Seeing the discomfort in her eyes upon the way he raised his voice, he took a deep sigh and released the gentle grip he has on her arm and slid it up and down her shoulder… trying to comfort her…

“You tried your best,” he uttered to her, letting his eyes drop down to the floor. “You were a devoted fiancé, and you truly loved him… You have been waiting for this wedding forever, and when he finally calls it, what does he do?”

Vega found herself raising her brown eyes from the floor, looking at him.

“He leaves you for naught, lets you fix the wedding all by yourself, and then fucks your Maid of Honor while you’re busy working at it –“

Tom then had to stop in the middle of his tirade of anger towards the woman’s supposed fiancé when Vega lifted a hand and a sob escaped her mouth, as she shut her eyes so tightly, you would swear that she was about to sink in another devastating downward spiral where she couldn’t stop crying nor get out of bed, whispering about how she doesn’t want to live…

“I – I just –“ she spoke up, her cheeks stained once more with tears, completely washing away her makeup for that night as she refused to look in her best-friend’s eyes in hopes not to find a glimpse of his chagrin about the entire ordeal. She knows how much Tom has put up with her fantastical whims about the Wedding, and now he has sunk into an ‘I Told You So’ mode, she doesn’t even know if she had the guts to look up at him and say ‘You’re right all along’…

“I just…” she found herself sighing. “I just wanted to be loved…”

She didn’t notice it, but Thomas’s glare softened upon hearing her words. “Is it wrong to ask to be loved?” she looked up at him, those eyes pleading, seemingly pleading as if she was asking him to give her that one thing her “ _one true love_ ” couldn’t give her… “I just want to fall in love!”

The man bit his lip, trying to stop himself from uttering another line – a thousand different lines that he was screaming in his head. As much as he wanted to voice out that someone loves her, someone _is deeply and hopelessly in love with her and that he’d cater to all her needs_ … He couldn’t help but look down and keep quiet as she continues to miserably pander about her unluckiness in love, as he wondered why won’t she just let herself fall in love with that _one person_ whom he knows that her heart secretly belongs to…

“I just wanted a normal life, a normal love,” she said in between hiccups caused by her uncontrollable sobbing. “I just want what every other person wants…” She looked up to find her best-friend rubbing his thumb on his lower lip, somewhat frowning, as he looked away. “Why can’t I have that? Tell me Thain,” she choked out, causing Tom to turn to her, despite his head hurting at three in the morning, wondering why she _just can’t open her eyes_. “Don’t I deserve that? Don’t I deserve to be loved, be happy?”

The way she broke down was making her look pathetic, even worse than what he looked like when he positively thought with the influence of Gin and Tonic after the Bahz Luhrmann party that he had no chance with this pretty little girl he was in love with for ten years. “Why can’t I have that?” she continued to whine on, blinded and hurt. “Why does everything have to be taken away from me –“ she muttered in between sobs, as she brought a hand up to her chest to try to calm herself down.

Her best-friend on the other hand was trying to stop himself from three things: 1) Losing his temper after everything she has been saying about love and having no chance, when clearly she has other options to choose from, specifically _that one option she abandoned at the Eureka Tower in Melbourne_ ; 2) Grabbing her beautiful bare shoulders adorned with silver chains and clasps just so he can probably knock sense in her delirium, but of course it’s not the best thing to do to a broken heart; 3) Grab her face and snog her senseless, and maybe she’d snap out and _realize that he’d always been waiting for her all along_. Tom decided to go along with his fourth option: Staring at her suggestively as she mindlessly went on her heartbroken litany, when they both know that _they_ could fix it.

“Why does everything has to be so complicated…” she whispered as he voice dropped, and her sobs softened, as she clutched her aching chest as she shut her eyes closed, more tears flowing down from them. She opened her eyes and looked at him through the haze of her tears, as the man pushed away those angry thoughts in his head – realizing that if he should be angry, it’s because _someone hurt his baby_. “Am I not enough?” Vega whispered. “Am I not enough, Tom?”

The man parted his lips, wanting to scream _Yes!!!_ , but Vega was too blinded by the pain and her tears to see it. “I… I saved myself for him,” she whispered, those hands clutching the hourglass necklace hanging on her chest. “I have saving myself for our wedding night, and yet he chooses another woman… who happens to be the closest to me,” she sobs yet again. “And I loved her back… She couldn’t – She couldn’t dare –“

The man just sighs as he pulls her by the arm and onto his chest again, gritting his teeth as he stopped himself from talking, saying something inappropriate that would worsen the situation, as he mindlessly ran his fingers through her hair. However, Vega was still lost in all that delirium of a heartache…

“I mustn’t be sufficient…” she mused miserably as the position caused her to press her cheek against his chest. “Maybe I’m too lacking… Maybe I’m not even that beautiful enough for that one man I love – “

That was when Thomas knew he had enough.

“Nonsense!” The reverb of his retort literally jerked Vega out of her sobs. The man raised her up from his chest so he could get a better look at her face. “Vega –“ He tried to get her to look at him, but somehow – the way he raised his voice placed a sad sour expression on the girl’s face, as she tried to wrench his hold away from her. “Vega, listen to me –“ He managed to cup her cheeks again, and said, “Vega, please stop this complete and utter nonsense and listen to what I have to say.”

The way she excruciatingly raised those dark chocolate eyes to meet his blue ones was enough to send him into a tailspin of fury – at least at her fiancé. “You are a wonderful woman, and you are more precious than anything –“ He felt himself stopping with the way she teared up and shook her head, that the man had to exasperatedly sigh, only to gently grip her upper arm, urging her to stand up on her feet. “Get up, darling. Come –“

As he gently got her up on her bare feet, Vega found herself gripping the man’s strong wrist as she allowed him to lead her towards the mirror, his hold on her arm slipping down to grasp her hand; as he positioned the woman (who was rendered into something child-like) in front of her slightly tilted mirror, as he stood behind her, placing both hands on her shoulders.

“Vey darling,” he whispers as he runs his palms on the ball of her shoulders, feeling how she trembled, still somewhat sobbing. “Vey, sweetheart, calm down. Look at you –“

The girl opened her eyes and found herself staring a girl with smeared makeup, dressed in the finest bridal couture, her eyes all puffy and swollen, lips parted with fading lipstick, completely looking pitiful and helpless… completely forgetting the presence of her compassionate best-friend standing beside her, massaging her shoulders. Seeing this pitiful reflection sniffling in front of her, caused Vega to break into tears once more, unable to see how Thomas was completely drowning in the visceral image in front of him, trying to hold his shit together.

“This isn’t going to work,” You can somewhat hear the panic in Tom’s voice – not just because of her starting to break down once more, but also because of the way she took his breath away – and he knew he wouldn’t be able to control himself if she wasn’t crying – but that’s for another day. Right now, all he tried thinking about was lifting his _sister’s_ spirits… “Vega, close your eyes,” he whispered in her ear.

Unable to think anymore, the girl found herself nodding, as she tried to catch her breath, tears still streaming down her face.

“Let me tell you a story,” she could hear him brush his lips gently on the side of her hair, almost close to her ear. She can almost feel the two day stubble on him, but it didn’t matter. Despite him being too close for comfort at that moment, Vega didn’t feel like retorting. She somewhat needed this right now… she needed his comfort right now. “There was once a girl who made quite a huge impact, and I saw her from her early beginnings… From middle school, to her early days of being a teenager, till she attended University and so on…”

Licking his lips, he continued, trying not to look at her reflection in the mirror in order to allow him to focus on his words. “From a promising young girl, I was honored to see for myself how she blossomed into this accomplished and intelligent woman, who held the world in the palm of her hands… Her world is hers, she is owned by no one, and she commands her life. Her power is intoxicating… and so is her spirit…”

Slowly, Vega began to calm down. “She is brave, inspiring, courageous, and exceptionally above it all,” her best-friend continued. “She has her head on top of her shoulders, and she doesn’t’ care whatever anyone else has to say. She would not believe it, but she is a giant – and no one can take her down.” Tom found himself smiling, realizing that he was echoing the same words she first gave to him as advice… when he was heartbroken as well, a long time ago.

“She is a star no one could catch. She is her own galaxy,” He whispered gently into her ear, as one hand from her shoulder travelled to gently stroke her black hair. “She is beautiful and there is no one in the world just like her…” He felt himself exhale at the end of that sentence, knowing how true it was especially for _him_ , before lifting those blue eyes to finally look at the mirror, seeing the calmness in Vega’s face… albeit a whole new tinge of pink was touching her cheeks. For some reason, this made Tom’s stomach tighten.

“Now open your eyes.”

The girl woke up as if she was coming from a dream. Opening her eyes, she sported a bit of a sleepy expression on her face, seeming as if she was still dreaming, she found herself looking at a reflection of _an actual blushing bride_ , despite the tears in her eyes… looking more like tears of joy. It didn’t help how her best-friend gently lowered his hands from her shoulders and her hair down to circle her waist, holding her close as he kept his mouth near her ear – not yet done with his litany of comfort.

“Remember that woman I was talking about?” Tom asked coyly. “You’re looking at her as we speak.”

Vega found herself parting her lips as her cheeks even became redder. Seeing the surprised reaction on her face, Tom couldn’t help but ease a smile out of his lips, knowing he somewhat hit a point – and snapped her out of that nonsense. But he never knew the gravity of the realization that was dawning over Vega, like a slow trickle down an almost dry waterfall, slowly being filled with the waters from a raging river.

“Can’t you see it, sissy?” He whispered adoringly. “Can’t you see _how beautiful_ you are?”

The woman couldn’t help but tear her eyes from the mirror, her cheeks getting even redder, as she found herself unable to look at the man’s blazing eyes the color of the sea.

“So never –” Suddenly, Tom’s voice was hoarse, forceful. “ _I never want to hear that lie about your beauty, Vega_. You are, if you would only open your eyes.”

This time, she couldn’t help but smile. Looking away from the mirror, she lowered her hand to touch his that was affixed on her hip, as she slowly turned around… a calm look on her face, with her lips slowly curving into a small smile, subtly hiding the way her heart suddenly feel light and free as she gazed up at him… suddenly appreciating the way his smile glowed, the way he held her, and the way he adoringly gazed at her…

For a moment, Vega felt peace. And once again, she owed it to Tom.

Keeping her hands on his as he found a way to entangle his fingers with hers, he felt his heart jump upon seeing the smile slowly forming on her tear-stained face, that smile he’d been wanting to see that moment he stepped into the room and saw her in her wedding dress…

“Thank you,” Vega’s voice was rough and choked up, but you can hear the gratitude in her voice. The man didn’t have to say a word, except with how he released his hand from her body and gently cupped her cheek with it, as she had to tear her eyes away, considering how she can feel her cheeks burning. “I needed that…” she whispered, not noticing how she managed to wrap her own arms around him, as she buried her face in his chest. “Thank you so much.”

Smiling himself, Tom whispered, “You needed to be slapped back into consciousness sometimes, sissy…” He found himself sighing, as he held her again, biting his lip as he buried his face in her hair. “But you know I can’t completely do that… I can only give you a gentle push…”

He felt his heart leap in its ribcage upon feeling this gentle hum against his chest, realizing that Vega has sighed.

They stayed that way for a while, the woman brushing her cheek against her best-friend’s chest, while Tom stood his ground, trying not to look at the mirror, as he stroke the girl’s black hair… that was slowly growing past her shoulders… not even suited to be described as “short”…

“Tom…” He heard her whisper against his chest as he looked down to find her still buried in his arms, refusing to move or even look up at him while she’s speaking. He was about to gently ask her why, what’s up, or what’s wrong… when she suddenly uttered these words that somewhat slightly drove a knife in his side, but was quickly healed by this small dash of hope, emanating from the sweet way she said it… “Why didn’t I show up at the airport?”

The man parted his lips, unable to speak.

…the more when she lifted her head to look at him with those swollen bedroom eyes.

She turned to gaze at his face, her hands moving from his waist to his chest, as she sleepily blinked – her question definitely not fazing her at all, but she was not aware at all with how fast the man’s heart started beating. If she placed her head against his chest again, she would have known. He parted his lips, unsure of what to say, when she tore her eyes away from him, wistfully saying, “I should have…”

He wasn’t even sure if she felt how his breath hitched, as he stood there, frozen with anticipation.

He couldn’t hide the shudder when she eased herself in his arms again, her gown crowding his feet and leaving this beautiful trail on her carpeted floor. “I should have, Tom,” she whispered once more, causing the man to bite his lip, retracting his shaking hands from her waist in case she would notice how he’s trying to control himself from grabbing her face, passionately taking her, and ruining that little moment they were having if it all turned out wrong. However, it was the sadness in her voice that kept him still. “Then maybe…” she uttered softly. “I wouldn’t be here… I wouldn’t be here crying in front of my mirror, wearing my wedding gown in fear that I’ll never see myself wearing it…”

He felt like he was about to go insane. It was close to a confession, although she delivered it better under the influence of the Almarillo and the Mead. Trying to shake it off and the fact that he suddenly felt dazed with her words, he stroked her hair and whispered in her ear.

“It doesn’t matter, what happened in the past…” He felt himself sigh. “It doesn’t matter anymore…”

He then gently lifts her head with a small gently slight of his finger, causing those beautiful dark brown doe-eyes to look up at him, having him swallow the lump in his throat upon seeing her emerging from his arms with her lips parted. With the way she looked at him enticing him to lean down and seal his comforting words with a kiss, it just made his heart burn with so much passion to know she wasn’t leaning away as he lowered his face closer to hers, wondering how long has it been since he kissed those glossed lips…

“What matters is that you’re happy, Miss Star.”

Vega’s eyes flew wide open.

Next thing she knew, she had pushed the six-footer away from her short frame, as he found his footing almost a feet away from her, as she saw the beautiful bride-to-be staring at him as if he just sexually assaulted her, her hands clenched into round fists, almost shaking with anger.

“What did you say?!”

“I just said –“

“You said _Miss Star_ ,” Vega exclaimed through gritted teeth.

Tom was initially clenching his jaw, running his hand through his chin, wondering what caused her to yank them both out of that comforting embrace, only for those blue eyes to widen once he realized what he just uttered out of an accident. But by the time he had the realization, he found himself staring at an infuriated Vega – with her anger completely misplaced.

“There’s only one person, who calls me that,” she said unclenching her hands, looking up at the man who refused to look at her. “And he’s –“ The woman’s hands shot up her mouth, her ringed finger hitting the side of her cheek. “Oh dear Lord –“ Unable to illicit a response from the man who just looked down – Vega found her own heart pounding when Tom raised his eyes from the floor, a predatory look on his face, without any trace of remorse or shame.

Shaking her head and crossing her arms, she turned to him, eyes welling with tears again as she squinted, disbelief in her face. “Are you, could you –“

He didn’t say a thing as she just stared right at her – seemingly ready to answer whatever she has to say. “Don’t give me that look –“ she accused him with much poignancy. “You said it – you said something –“

He pursed his lips and just whispered, “I said _Miss Star_.” He remained silent and unreceptive, a complete opposite to what he was earlier as he was being gentle and adoring, with legs apart as he stood his ground. “Isn’t that who you are… _Miss Star?!_ ”

It was enough to make Vega scream, but she didn’t.

She just threw her hands up in the air and said, “What the fuck, Thomas?! What the – Are you fucking with me?” For a moment, the real Vega has returned. Gone were the tears of her heartache, and once again she was hiding behind a wall of shame, ashamed to have found out that _possibly_ her most devoted visitor and commenter on her blog turns out to be this guy – the man she considers her best friend. Or probably something more. “What the fuck was that about?” she cried out. “Miss Star? _Miss Sta –_ “

She shook her head and that’s when the pain on her face returned, as she retrieved her hands from her face and returned the pensive glare the man was giving her. “How dare you –“

That’s when Tom spoke up, crossing his arms. “Vega, please be reasonable –“

“No!” She screamed this time, almost stomping her feet. “Not this time! I deserve the truth, Tom! I deserve it at least once! We’re all always hiding secrets from each other! Like a fucking soap opera! It’s enough to destroy a possible marriage –“ Tears were reflected in her eyes upon mentioning that. “—or an unbreakable friendship.”

That was when Tom’s glare upon her softened quite a bit.

Taking a deep breath in an attempt of calming herself down, realizing how derailed her gentle moment with him had been, Vega opened her eyes and found Tom fazed, looking back down at the floor, fazed by her words… even part of his mind was saying how she needs to practice what she preaches…

“Tell me the truth,” the woman in the wedding dress asked firmly. “Are you reading my blog?”

The man took a deep breath and looked up from the floor, having mastered the art of clearing his expressions before walking on stage. Much to Vega’s chagrin, the man exclaimed, “I can neither confirm nor deny that.”

Realizing that he was a pro at this when it comes to interviews, Vega found herself sneering as she crossed her arms once more and dug her nails into her elbows, almost leaving deep dents and grooves made by her fingernails.

“This isn’t fair,” she muttered, loud enough for Tom to hear her. She looked up at him, no longer with shame for her stupidity over her fiancé, no longer with sadness upon realizing that her own kin betrayed her. She looked up at him with genuine disappointment of having that one person in the world withhold information from her, pretending to be someone else. “You talk to me about chivalry and being a gentleman, Thomas… but you won’t answer my questions.”

Tom felt himself clench his jaw, as his nerve was struck with what she just said. Vega managed to just stand there, as she ran her hand over her forehead, smoothing it, wishing she didn’t have to deal with _any_ of this at all. But this was Tom, the only person who mattered _right now_ , and she wouldn’t let this one issue be swept under the rug. She was tired of unburied hatchets – this one is about to be dealt with now.

“I’m gonna ask you again,” she exclaimed, before raising her eyes to bravely glare at his blue ones. “Are you reading my blog and secretly leaving comments? Are you TA1? Are you TragicAnon1, Tom?!”

The man didn’t speak a word, his eyes avoiding her gaze.

Vega swore she was about to march up to him, grab him by his black shirt and slap him in the face, when the man parted his lips and spoke.

“By the Mercenary Code –“ he started, causing Vega to bite her lip, look away and shake her head, knowing she wasn’t going to get a straight answer from him _at all_. But then – “I am compelled to say,” he turned to look at her, bearing his gaze deep down in hers. “ _Yes_.”

Vega didn’t have the heart to gasp. She found everything blurring again with how her eyes filled up with tears as she pursed her lips and glared back at the man, who stood in front of her, arms slightly stretched out as if he had nothing to hide. It didn’t help that there was a bit of guilt found in his eyes, and although Tom couldn’t find the words to apologize – apologize for hiding he truth that he’d always been looking out for her, wanting only the best for her, _pining for her_ … He could only do it through carefully-wrapped words left on the internet. And although he subtly tried to hide how he felt this way as he looked at her, he couldn’t hide the longing that was in his eyes.

She wanted to punch him, to pound his chest with her fists, to ask him why must he hide everything, why must he conceal himself from her when all she was waiting for was –

Vega swore she blacked out after that.

She didn’t even realize how she just strode forward in one long movement as she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him towards her, before smothering her lips square on his mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **RULE #1:** THIS IS A TWO PARTER, DON’T KILL ME.  
>  **RULE #2:** YOU MIGHT KILL ME FOR PART 2.
> 
> This scene is preferably read while listening to Lhasa de Sela’s “Love Came Here”.  
> Because it worked for me while writing it.


	51. On the Cusp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _So have you got the guts?_   
>  _Been wondering if your heart's still open_   
>  _And if so I wanna know what time it shuts_   
>  _Simmer down and pucker up_   
>  _I'm sorry to interrupt_   
>  _It's just I'm constantly on the cusp_   
>  _Of trying to kiss you..._
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> \- "Do I Wanna Know" ; Arctic Monkeys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the playlist that has been recommended while reading this really crazy, fucked up chapter: 
> 
> (Though you can choose only one to listen to while reading – and listen to the rest later)
> 
> 1) Do I Wanna Know / Arctic Monkeys (Recommended by MissHotMess & Me)  
> 2) I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight / Bastille (Cover)  
> 3) Take Me To Church / Hozier (Recommended by MissHotMess)  
> 4) Sex / The 1975  
> 5) Madness / Muse  
> 6) No Ordinary Love / Urbandub
> 
>  
> 
> Also, a [visual reminder](http://lokiwholockfactory.tumblr.com/post/83265730898/just-a-reminder-on-a-stolen-conversation).

Everything happened so fast.

Next thing he knew, his hands were shaking as the woman had pulled him close, her hands wrinkling his shirt as she pulled his head down to level with her face, as he felt these soft candied lips being smeared forcefully on his, as he squinted his eyes shut, completely savoring the transfer of heat that transpired between him and the beautiful woman in the white wedding gown.

No words were said, and everything that had to be exchanged verbally, was done physically.

Vega swore she never kissed anyone that hard her entire life. She felt like tearing at his shirt, completely forgetting everything that happened the night before – the hilariously erotic strip show that sent her running back to her so-called fiancé’s hotel, only for her to discover that nasty secret that explained why Gale sometimes refused to answer her calls, bringing her back home here – where she ended up wearing her Wedding Gown in fear that she’ll never wear it again, only to end up snogging her best-friend.

But hell, it was one hell of a snog.

As much as she felt like wanting to meld with the man, the man she somewhat considered her brother, the man whom she has kissed several times before having a change of heart and wanting to marry her ex instead; you would say that it was the same for Tom – as he frustratingly tried to grasp the woman, hands slipping from her waist to her back, his other hand snaking down the back of her head in order to tilt her face to give him better access to his lips – as he was simply lost with how she opened her mouth and devoured his own, wanting to have a taste of his lips – _have a taste of it all_.

But as much as this seemed to be no different from how they have kissed before or how she kissed him at the Gazebo that New Year’s Eve, Tom could only feel like melting in her arms with how she was bold and brazen this time around – no hesitation, no second thoughts, and she just kissed him back with much ardor, a passion he has never seen before, as she tried to take him in, absorb him, without abandon. This was a whole new Vega… _this was a Vega he could love even more than he ever loved before_.

The woman found herself releasing his collar as she felt like melting in his arms, with his hands clutching at her back – one tracing her spine, and one affixed on her hip. As she unclasped her small hands from his shirt, leaving wrinkles in its wake, she found herself smoothing her hands against his ribs, circling his torso, before resting on his back – only to start clawing at the man again, wanting to have more.

Breathing up for air, Tom disengages for a while from the passionate exchange, only for his blood to run hot when Vega managed to slip and clamp her upper lip onto his lower ones, as he felt this pressure coming from her mouth as she began to slowly suckle on his lower lip… only to end the gesture by biting down gently, causing his eyes to loll at the back of his head.

“You little –“

She managed to release his lower lip with a soft smack, as he came back from a daze, only to find the woman looking at him with fire in those dark amber eyes and mischief in her smile, causing him to grab her by her waist, turning his head to devour her mouth once again, as he took her by force – slamming both of their bodies against the full-length mirror that stood behind them, causing Vega to shriek inside the man’s mouth.

_Eeep!_

“Oh my –“

Tom was gritting his teeth as he turned her around, his hands still grasping her everywhere – her abdomen, her shoulders, her delicious waist… her thighs… He found himself looking at her face through the mirror, with her brown eyes filled with lust, wanting him to _do more_ than what he has ever done to any woman he has ever kissed, as he let out a soft growl as he sank his face in her hair, wrapping his arms around her abdomen as he pressed his body against her back, causing the woman to moan.

“You’re so beautiful…” he whispered in her ear, before lowering his lips against the side of her neck, his tongue darting out of his mouth for a while to lick the skin against the silver chain that held the hourglass necklace, before pressing his lips upon the column of her neck, causing a squeal to erupt from the woman’s mouth.

It didn’t help at all with how the man slowly brought his hands up from her abdomen, as he suckled and somewhat bit on the side of her neck, with Vega gently raising her hands back and pulling at his tuft of honey-gold hair, her face contorting with mixed pleasure and frustration as the man left rough kisses on her soft skin, down to the slope of her shoulder…

…and she just had to hitch a breath when Tom managed to grab her breasts.

“Remember …” He whispered in between licks and kisses, pressing his mouth and leaving hot marks on her shoulder. He growled as he affixed his eyes on the woman through the mirror, taking his cues from the way she parted her lips and whimpered with every movement of his mouth, as he slipped the silver clasping off her shoulders. “Remember what I said about you being beautiful?”

The girl found herself somewhat pleading, somewhat nodding, completely lost in the pleasure of his mouth, pressed against her neck – with every movement of his tongue sending shivers up her nerve endings.

“Yes…”

Distracted with how talented Thomas’ lips were, she didn’t notice at all how he managed to bring his hands down from her shoulders, as he hooked those long fingers down the deep-v of her collar, pulling her dress down gently to slightly reveal her cleavage.

“ _Never forget that_ ,” he growled once more against her skin, before doing the unthinkable.

Vega felt like being pushed against the mirror, as she dared to shut her eyes against her reflection when she bent herself over and placed a hand against the surface, as the man managed to pull down her dress to her waist – his huge slender hands quickly shooting up to cup her breasts, memorizing the way they felt against his fingers, how they tried to spill out of his hands, and how her nipples stood up against the center of his palm.

The girl couldn’t help but whimper as she pressed herself against her mirror, trying not to look at how the man not only ate her with his mouth – but with his eyes as well. Vega ended up flinging her hooded lids wide open when he squeezed her tits, and as his butterfly kisses that moved on her bare skin from the back of her neck, to her bare upper arms… that slowly moved towards the smooth skin on her back, landing his lips on her spine… before opening his mouth to take a bit of skin in between his teeth.

“Tom!”

She heard the playful _ehehehe_ coming from behind her, as gusts of his breath touched her skin… while he hooked a hand from under her arms and over her shoulder, straightening her body up as he pulled her away from the mirror – only to get a better look at her.

Thomas could only suck in his breath as he pressed his face against her hair, finding his hand still clasped on her chest, barely shielding away a cherry nipple, with her modestly-sized breasts pert and full in his hands… with her smooth belly partly holding up sides of what seemed to be her black underwear… as the rest of her expensive gown dangled from her waist down. The girl could only gasp as she felt him press his crotch against the back of her thigh, as the trace of an erection could be felt through his pants. It didn’t help Tom that _this is exactly how she looked in his fantasies…_ completely willing, with that small yet perfect body… and his hands free to roam wherever he pleases…

Pulling her up close, he closed his eyes, memorizing how she looked – barely spent in his arms but face contorted with lust and desire, as he whispered in her ear, “Remember this moment, my love…” He grazed his lips against her earlobes, causing Vega to shiver. “Because I will make sure that you won’t forget it…”

The girl gasped. “Tom! You’ve got to be k –“

She was suddenly cut short when he tilted her face towards his, smothering her face with kisses… enough to distract her as his other hand worked to pull off the rest of her dress from her thighs, leaving it as a heap from the floor as he slipped an arm underneath her thighs, sweeping her in his arms in a bridal style… as he carried the woman to her bed, pushing off her black dress as he laid her on the undisturbed sheets.

Vega had a sharp intake of breath as Tom crawled over her, his eyes clearly filled with intense longing and unbridled desire as he glanced at her… from head… to toe.

The woman couldn’t help but panic when she realized that she was still wearing those stockings with a very faint pattern… with its edges having the most expensive lace along with a small ribbon adorning the clasp that held her underwear in place. She didn’t know how it could affect his desire, but she completely forgot how Tom literally eyed her from head to toe in her leather and lace dress earlier and seeing her in a seductive “little black dress” managed to motivate his routine even further, causing the striptease to be a little more – _spiced up_.

Going back to the stockings hidden underneath her gown, the man definitely noticed this – as he ran a finger on the strap, pulling it back and letting it snap against her skin… but what made Vega’s lungs burn was how he hungrily looked at her breasts… with the hourglass necklace still sitting snug in between her cleavage.

“You seem to like what you see…” She couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth, nor the tone of her voice.

It didn’t help how he darted his eyes to drown hers, the blues glaring and the way he gazed at her suddenly reminded her of the exact components of his essence – the gait, his demanding aura, the pursed thin lips, the way he filled the room with his presence, the way he smelled of peppermint, and how he seemed to be so fresh despite that stripper activity he did in the Ladies Club earlier.

“Oh Vega,” Tom purred. “I have already liked it even before I have seen it…”

He then lowered his face towards hers, and she could only swallow the lump on her throat, knowing that this was another prelude to a mind-breaking kiss. “And I want it even more now that I have seen _everything_ –“

She opened her mouth to retort – but she just gave him leeway to slip his tongue in between her lips and furiously press his mouth against hers, causing her to shiver all over, as he managed to find his place in between her legs, threading his hands in his hair, as he swore he wouldn’t stop kissing her, wouldn’t stop savoring those lips, until the taste of candy is completely obliterated from the gloss on her mouth, and she couldn’t breathe, screaming only his name.

Vega didn’t think of this as a competition, but she fought. Oh hell, did she fight back – with her hands, with her lips, and her body. At one point she was kissing wildly more than what Tom was doing, considering how she was dying to hold him in her arms and just lose all inhibitions – kiss him without pretense, and make love to him without context. But never has she felt or confirmed these feelings that lie inside her head, all she knows is that she locked these sexual thoughts she has of Tom somewhere she couldn’t find it –

Until that day.

You could not blame Tom either, for this is what he had been aching for ever since the day she kissed him in his living room, after trying to calm him down upon seeing her pictures in his private collection. No, he didn’t really have the ambition of fucking her, putting her as one of the notches in his bedpost, like what he did with other girls during that time he felt like he was mentally insane to try and find comfort in other women – But he dreamed of _making love to her_. He dreamed of making her feel these emotions burning inside of him, ever since that day he realized he was in love with her. And having a shared experience of discovering their bodies and finding out what they both wanted in the lieu of pleasure…

Oh Lords, did he dream of it.

And he was living the dream right now.

And what was perfect was how he could feel that she felt the same way, with how she moved her head, locked her lips with his, and accepted every form of love or affection that he gave her way, even if it was just a gentle passionate kiss… to that erotic gesture of ever so slowly moving his hands up from her bare abdomen to take a nipple in between his fingers –

Vega gasped in between his lips, causing her best-friend to withdraw his lips from hers, gently surveying the expression on her face as he loosened his hold on her breast, his lips parted as he watched her blink several times… seemingly in a bit of discomfort. “Do you want me to stop?”

Looking at her still somewhat tear stained cheeks, there was something badgering his mind… something inappropriate that would definitely killed the mood if he said it out loud. Part of him was afraid that this was going towards rebound sex, the emotionally deprived and heartbroken Vega just responding to the sexual calls of his body in order to merit her own… But there was something in her eyes, a whole new fire, a whole new passion, an inflamed version of what he used to find in hers whenever she would smile at him, look in his direction, or whenever she would tell him that he was not alone, subtly told him that she’d always be there for him…

…and he felt his heart leap when she began to shake her head, a hand gently smoothing up his face, urging him to continue.

That was when Tom swore he lost control.

Vega let out a soft cry when he buried his face in her neck, suckling gently against the skin upon the slope where the column of her neck met with her shoulder. She squirmed as he furrowed his brow and kissed lower, his tongue tracing in between his lips as he explored her collarbones with his mouth…

And that’s when she felt her chest heave when his mouth hovered over a breast.

Vega isn’t really a “big” girl, but for someone with her gait, her height, and her heritage… those breasts were pretty “big” to a point that she was being teased by her friends in University, envied by her classmates in High School when she turned up to the prom in a low-necked dress, and made every other boyfriend drool whenever she got into an outfit that highlighted her curves. But as much as she sometimes felt a little bit insecure with her body size being a petite woman, not to mention the “modest” size of her breasts, she has no inkling of how Tom was clearly trying to restrain himself from getting kneed in the groin with what he was planning to do to her that very moment…

He raised his eyes to meet with hers as he quietly sought consent to take her as he wished to with just the emotion in his eyes… But as he watched her gently blink down on him, before leaning back on her pillow to bite her lip and look at the ceiling, the man realized that she had just given him clearance to fully explore her body, as he hesitantly tore his eyes away from that delicious expression she was making with her eyes closed… and took a cherry nipple in his mouth.

A soft cry escaped Vega’s lips upon feeling his lips on her chest.

He felt himself wrinkling his brow as he relished the taste of her in his mouth, how the round tip of her breasts seemed to quiver against his tongue as he repeatedly brushed the surface against her nipples while suckling gently on her breasts, gently grazing his lower teeth on them… as he eventually discovered how Vega would helplessly squirm against his grip, causing him to hold her upper arms and pin her down on the mattress.

The woman just bit her lip upon feeling him release her left breast… only to drag his tongue across her cleavage, nudging the necklace gently with it, before resting on the tip of her other breast, before swiveling his head to take it all in his mouth once more, causing Vega to shut her eyes and whimper in his hold, with her hands still held above her head.

“Gods –“

Vega continued on whimpering and moving her chest against his face, as the man relished how she reciprocated against his mouth, twisting and turning her torso with every movement of his lips, motivating him to hold her down and suckle harder, causing the woman to turn her head to the side, almost crying a new set of tears onto her flushed cheeks as she sniveled helplessly against his touch.

“Please –“

To her surprise, he released her breast and his hands on her arms… his mouth travelling lower, as he smeared a wet trail of saliva from his open mouth from her abdomen to her navel… only for his mouth to stop before he could reach her Venus mound… seeing as her most delicate parts were still covered by her special underwear… still hooked to those beautiful lace stockings he couldn’t stop tracing with his fingers…

There was an animalistic look in his face as he looked back up at her, causing the girl to shiver – remembering that dark side to the man that she secretly desired, having seen his capability to be _bad_ in different roles. But with his own role in the bedroom, Vega realized that _whatever she saw onscreen was only the tip of the iceberg_ as the man dragged his mouth back up her body, past her breasts and up the column of her neck… only to slop up her chin and retake her lips again… his hands now smoothing up her arms and up to her hands, clasping them and entwining those long fingers with hers…

Tom disengaged from her lips with a smack, his blue eyes drowning in the fire of his own passion.

“Kiss me,” he commanded her.

The girl lifted her head to try to reach his lips ghosting over hers, only for her to become confused when the man pulled his face away from hers, somewhat evading her lips. The girl narrowed her eyes at him, seemingly taken aback by his sudden retraction – “Kiss me and tell me that I’m not dreaming,” he whispered, a small smile playing on his lips, despite the mischief in his expression, she could see nothing but longing and desperation in those blue eyes – the same desire she saw that night on his couch, before he kissed her for the first time.

She then attempts again to take his lips in hers as she lifted her head up, only to crash into that heat as he sank her lips into hers, devouring her mouth hard with his sharp nose brushing against her flushed cheeks as he almost pushed her head into the softness of her pillow, suckling and smooching with much desperation, wanting nothing more but the response of her lips, and the touch of her fingers on his back…

“Do you dream of this?” Vega found herself asking upon disengaging, only for her lips to be recaptured again.

“Every night,” he whispered in reply, before sinking back into the kiss.

“You do?”

“I dream of you, Vega,” he whispered, inches against her lips before smothering them again. “I always do…”

The girl couldn’t help but admit as she allowed him to devour her mouth, how tears began to form on the sides of her eyes, tears of relief as she felt her heart pound against her chest, almost wanting to join his as he pressed his body against hers…

“Please tell me –“ He whispered in between kisses. “That you dream of this too –“

The woman opened her eyes to gaze up against his, filled with sympathy and yearning, realizing how long the man must have suffered just having to wait for her, to bury his feelings deep, only to find out that she had fallen in love with someone else… Someone else who couldn’t give her the same kind of love that he was giving her now…

…and this filled Vega’s eyes with tears.

“Because I’ve always wanted this,” Tom pleaded as he kissed her, his hands smoothing over her neck, and down her collarbones, a finger tracing her cleavage, slowly and painstakingly tracing over her stomach… only for his fingers to ghost at her Venus mound, and closer to her entrance.

“All I need to know,” he whispered as he disengaged, catching his breath. “Is if you want this too…”

He stops just above her underwear, as she feels him arch his body towards her as he closed his eyes, his fingers gently touching the surface of her panties, as he pressed his forehead against her… waiting for her command, for her consent, for her sweet _Yes_ , as he took her essence in, filling his head with the way she smelled, memorizing the rhythm of how she breathed, her chest going up and down in his line of sight, her perfume, her musk, her essence… _her everything…_

He suddenly felt a hand violently clutch his arm, only for him to open her eyes to find Vega’s eyes brimming with tears.

They were different – they were tears of pain, of uncertainty. For a while he thought he was _doing everything wrong again_ and he just blew his chance with her –

But little does he know how Vega wept for the time lost, for entrusting her heart once more to someone who would break it, how she did it all in guilt upon the thought _that she lost her own true love forever_ because of _a wrong decision of not showing up when she should have_ , how she said yes to a half-baked proposal in fear that she would never see the man she really loved again, how much she feared that maybe he would have hated her for saying “no”, and she just had to secure her heart for someone she thought she was comfortable with…

As she said yes to another man because she was so scared of having blown the perfect chance with someone else…

Yet here he is, lying beside her, offering to make love to her… to erase all her tears…

“Anything,” she whispered. “Anything to make the pain go away…”

She looked up at him, pleading. “Please _Thain_ …”

Tom didn’t realize how his own eyes welled up with his own tears as he watched her tried to get a grip of herself... not to mention how he felt his own body weaken as he pleaded to him using that nickname. Pressing his lips against her forehead, he found himself calming her down, ceasing her trembling with the way he softly caressed her tear-stained cheeks with his delicate mouth… Before looking deep in her eyes, preparing her for what was about to come…

“Let me make you forget, _Aeoren_ ,” he whispered in her ear. “Forget everything… _forget him_ …”

As he licked his lips, parted her underwear… and brushed his fingers against her slit.

It would have been too much for Tom, finding Vega open her mouth in a perfect-o, seemingly like a preview to her orgasm, as he found himself coating one long finger with juices that lubricated the slit of her sex.

He had to struggle from using that typical sexual joke he often tells his lovers when he finds out how wet they are for him, considering that he had been making Vega whimper ever since he placed his lips on her that very night, and he couldn’t deny how much she was driving him insane with desire as well… And considering the fact that this is Vega… _his Vega_ … He couldn’t just drop something like that…

But you can see it in his eyes how much he was wanting to completely lose control, to devour her then and there, take her, and claim her as his… as he knows that his heart, his soul, and all his affections will always be hers…

A soft cry escaped the woman’s mouth when he began to gently slip a slender finger into her sex, causing Tom to bite down his lip, strong enough to draw blood as he began to gently stroke her, entice her, prepare her for what he had been wanting to do for a long time… that he had painstakingly tried to find substitutes for that want, only to fail miserably.

She was the one to clench her own jaw as he managed to hilt his long finger within her, as the man felt her completely tighten around his digit, considering that this just gave away the fact that it was the first time Vega had been touched by a man beyond the usual. But as she began to throb around him, the girl opened her mouth to get an intake of air, not noticing how the man who was making love to her with his fingers ended up opening his mouth in retort as well, almost gasping at how perfect she was as he slowly, gently… pulled his finger out of her folds… Getting it completely soaked with her juices.

“Darling,” Tom whispered with a breathy whisper as he brushed his lips against her forehead, completely giving Vega time to breathe as she got used to the feeling of his digits stroking around her slit. “You’re so tight…”

“Don’t be surprised,” she grunted back, refusing to open her eyes and probably see how fucking aroused her roommate was as well.

“Well,” Tom whispered, gritting his teeth as he slowly began to ease his finger within her once more. “I am…”

Vega suddenly had to arch her back up towards him when he managed to slip in another finger within her, causing the man to lose it and smother her lips with his mouth, prodding his tongue against hers, in rhythm of how he gently pumped his two fingers within the slit of her sex. Little could she hear it, since her ears are slowly being drowned by the pleasure being caused by her roommate on her body, but Tom was busy moaning her name in her mouth…

“ _Oh Aeoren…_ ”

That was when he canted his fingers with a slight of his wrist, clenching his jaw as he began to thrust repeatedly within her, causing Vega to cry out his name in reply as she gripped his arms, and eventually ended up running her fingers down his chest.

It was too much for Tom to bear, but he knew she had to be properly ready for him when that time comes, and he couldn’t deny how much he loved seeing her break apart upon his touch… With the way she furrowed her eyebrows, how she pushed her head further into her pillow, and how she whimpered… almost right into his mouth, begging for him to smother her and suffocate her with kisses, absorbing all her cries into his person, hoping he could prolong her desire…

And seeing her in this compromised position, the girl flinging her hands upwards to grab at her headboard with every stroke, every thrust of his digits through her slit, soaking her panties, almost screaming her head off with how the pleasure claimed her body, shook her to the core… He couldn’t deny how he felt himself straining his own erection in his pants as he licked his lips and buried his head in the crook of her neck, keeping himself distracted as he pleasured her.

Vega on the other hand felt like she wasn’t herself – being completely drowned with so many sensations: something new, something tight, something so pleasurable that it sent her back from the vastness of space, time, and eternity… sending her crashing back into the material essence of her body… It was as if her mind was extracted from her being and everything was replaced with pleasure…

His lips gently made his way up her neck, before whispering sweet nothings in her ear, enjoying the way it made her shiver apart from the fact that she was already shaking from the tips of her fingers to the edges of her toes with how he managed to work wonders with his hands. Smiling mischievously against her neck, he found himself sucking on her earlobe, as he began to attempt to unclasp a hook of an earring, when he traced the surface of the jewelry with his tongue and recognized the shape of a star –

The thrusting of his fingers slowed as he removed his lips from her ear, trying to get a better glance at the accessory only to realize how familiar it looked –

“You kept it,” he whispered.

Vega looked back at him, completely in a daze, wondering why he stopped and what the fuck was he talking about. “What?”

Tom felt like shivering all over. “Oh darling… You kept it,” he repeated with glee in his voice, brushing his upper lip against the star-shaped jewelry. “You’re wearing the gift I gave you for Christmas…”

The woman looked at him, easing the way she clasped her hands on the headboard. What even made the man’s stomach tighten was the way her cheeks seem to be flushed again, unable to deny the fact that she cherished those earrings he gave her, before the entire fracas in Cornwall happened.

“How could I not,” she whispered, tearing her eyes away from those blue orbs that pierced her soul. “They’re beautiful…”

To her surprise, the man lowered his face again near her ear.

“Like you,” he whispered, before hilting his fingers within her again, inserting another one along with the first two, causing Vega to cry out when he suddenly pressed his lips against her earlobe, slipping his tongue inside of it, making her squirm.

The girl found herself whimpering so loud that he was tempted to clamp his free hand onto her mouth as he continued thrusting his three soaked fingers within her slit.

His thrusts began to quicken, and so does the girl’s breathing.

Removing his lips from her ear, he began to pant, watching the way her body arched towards him – those beautiful legs adorned with those laced stockings stretching out on the bed, her feet digging down on the sheets as she tried to anchor herself despite the way he continuously pulled his digits in and out within her, causing her to jerk her hips upward.

“Thain, please!”

The girl found herself dragging her fingers on his back, screaming his name – the moment he stopped thrusting his own digits within her. He felt her quiver around his fingers as he gently pulled them out, as he sat up and looked at her with piercing blue eyes, burning with lust as he brought his fingers up to his mouth, slowly licking her juices off his three slender fingers with that talented tongue…

Vega felt like curling her toes as she ignored the shiver that claimed her body, watching him seduce her like that.

But it didn’t help at all how he looked at her figure, from head to toe, surveying his work… and how she was completely at his beck and call, all curled up and scantily clad before him. Standing up, Tom licks his fingers clean before bending over her body again… slowly leaving soft kisses on her stomach, her navel, and on the tip of her hip… before going lower… to trace a specific pattern on her inner thigh, following the lace on her stockings. All of this… while silently fucking her with his eyes.

She managed to shudder all over the moment he was done running his tongue on her inner thigh, and this brought a whole new fire in his eyes, realizing _that she was ready and she wasn’t backing out_. And what made his heart swell, his stomach turn, and his pants tighten was the fact that throughout their entire foreplay, she didn’t even dare try to push him away… not like how she always does.

Tonight he knew that she was his. And he was hers as well.

Leaving a soft gentle kiss on her bare waist… he gently pulled down the soaked panties as he apologized for ruining them, before sucking in his breath upon seeing her all moist and ready for him… and ever so beautiful with her body completely exposed to him as well, with those beautiful lace stockings adorning her legs.

“Be right back,” he said breathily as he got up and left the room, leaving Vega opening her eyes with a bit of perplexity as she watched the man walk out. “I promise.”

The woman was left lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling, still recovering from the aftermath of a very impressive fingerfuck delivered by a man she fucking swore that she would never kiss or touch again. Of course she had to retract the first statement for what happened back during New Year’s Eve… and now she has to completely take back the second statement considering how good of a kisser he was, how much he made her body heat up when he presses his lips against her breasts, and how much she whimpered whenever he turned his fingers within her like clockwork…

But as she caught her breath, her bare chest heaving up and down, erect nipples hardening in the cold night air, as she tried to get a grip of herself after being repeatedly hauled to and pulled from heaven and back. Parting those soft lips that were earlier candied with sweet lipgloss, having it smeared all over Tom’s lips during the past thirty minutes… Vega started thinking about what she had put herself into: getting into an engagement with a man who preferred fucking her cousin, walking out of a prepped celebration for her just because she was sexually frustrated over the fact that her best-friend (whom she has secret feelings for) decided to volunteer for a strip-tease, and now she is about to be fucked by that same best-friend who just literally loved every bit of her naked body too much a few seconds earlier –

And this was Tom, who probably had been a pro in the Sex Olympics, considering that fucking disaster they considered in the flat that have ended up in a food fight of grisly proportions. _She was about to let Tom fuck her to oblivion and she’s just literally lying there like a sitting duck about to be shot –_

Vega found herself bolting up to a sitting position on her bed upon realizing that Tom was about to take her then and there.

But before she can hop off her sheets, scantily clad and dripping between the legs… she saw the man slowly stride back in her room…

Upon returning in her presence, he slowly raised his arms and raised the shirt off his shoulders… only to throw them on her floor… flaunting those well-chiseled muscles that made him look beefier than he used to be before, considering that he had quite an intake of food based on the diet placed on him after his “hospitalization” stint, and that it was required of a new project for him to bulk up. But aside from the fact that his entire physique is breathtaking as it is… the man was only clad in his boxer shorts, barely hiding that damned erection that was pressing up against the material.

Vega could only feel herself gulp upon realizing that the man was holding a condom in his mouth, still in his foiled package.

It didn’t help how she got a clearer view of his naked body, how perfect the abs embedded in his torso, how his shoulders sloped down in such an angle that every other man would envy, and despite claiming that another co-star had bigger biceps than him, Vega could swear that this man had _beautiful_ arms to brag about… not to mention that strained girth that was etched against the fabric of his shorts, causing Vega to put her thighs together.

But what made her gasp was the way he moved towards her and getting on all fours on the bed, crawling towards her, like a released jungle cat that had just found its prey… about to devour her. It didn’t help how those blue eyes blurred with lust the moment he knelt in front of her, tearing the condom foil open with his teeth, releasing the blue-colored rubber that he picked out easily with those long fingers.

Vega found herself suddenly so naked and exposed in front of him, like a prey waiting to be eaten, as she brings her arms over her chest, trying to hide those pert breasts that were actually asking for a little more love from the man’s mouth.

“Why so shy, love?” His deep voice snapped her back to the reality she had put herself into. “I’ve seen everything you wish to hide…”

That’s when Vega realized that he doesn’t want to hide himself either, the moment he slowly pulled down his boxer shorts… revealing that wonderful girth that made the girl drop her jaw upon realizing that the tabloids, the gossip columns, and the sex blogs on Tumblr were right… _the motherfucker was unbelievably gifted in the endowment department_. The girl then closed her mouth and swallowed the lump in her throat, trying not to look at his face as he devilishly smiled, smoothing the condom over his cock, rolling it down till it reached the base.

Once he was done, he looked up with this glare that was meant to eat a person alive, as if he was saying “You’re next”.

In response to this, Vega just gulped once more.

Suddenly, his eyes softened – after being taken over by that sexual possession. He moved towards her and gently touched her face, sweetly nudging his nose against hers, becoming the gentle lover he always was, what he was before she fled to Melbourne and called everything off the first time around. He then slowly tilted his head and took her lips against his, running a hand around her shoulders, calming her down… as he gently laid her flat back on the bed… pressing his body against hers.

Gently releasing her lips with a smack, he cherished the way her body shuddered upon the loss of contact, as he gently cradled her head and tipped her chin upwards so he can drown in those brown chocolate eyes, softly comforting her with a gentle gaze, telling her silently that everything will be fine, that he would take care of her…

“Darling,” he whispered breathily. “I can stop if you don’t want to do this…” Even though there was a bit of remorse in his voice; she could feel how much he respected her. “I am at your command, my love. Just say the word…”

Peering deep in his eyes, recognizing nothing but sincerity, gentleness, and something she didn’t want to recognize since she had been afraid of seeing it ever since, despite the man truly loving her without consequence for years on end; the woman decided to throw her cares to the wind and follow the rhythm of her body as she just pulled his head down and tenderly kissed him, causing the man to furrow his brow and smile into the kiss, finally getting the consent he always wanted…

Easing out of the kiss, he found himself speaking even before he opened his eyes… “I’ll be gentle with you, my love,” he whispered, his hands slowly travelling down her body, appreciating her curves once more. “I promise that.”

Nodding, Vega slowly guided a hand on her waist… as she felt him gently lower his other hand in the inside of her thigh… pressing the head of his cock against her entrance, causing the woman to stiffen up.

With the man trying to hold his breath as he brushed himself against her slit, he had to clench his jaw the moment he felt her body twitch against him, as he hovered his head above hers, trying to get a better view of his own body as he assessed how he would be able to pleasure her and pleasure himself at the same time.

As he held himself and brushed his cock against her entrance once more, gently nudging her clit on purpose, Vega found herself stretching her head into the pillow, shutting her eyes closed, in the fear that it would feel as if she was about to be hit by a train the moment she took him in. But much to her feared anticipation, she kept on being woken up by this tingling feeling that would rise into something that would like to claim her pleasure like a tide that was about to wash out her desires, only to come back down into a low steady stream… as the man repeatedly nudged her folds with his cock.

She looked to find him clenching his jaw, enjoying the way she would take a deep breath, close her eyes and then gently exhale upon the way he teased her… His mind memorizing the way she opened her mouth and licked her lips, and how she managed to dig her toes in the sheets as she tried to deal with her desire that was like the rising and falling of a tide… everytime he brushed the head of his cock against her clit.

“Do you like that, love?” he whispered into her hair, one hand holding himself up on the bed, another affixed on her waist, preparing himself to slide into her. “Do you like how it feels, Vega?”

The woman was beside herself. She wasn’t the little girl who would shy away from talks of sexuality, nor the aghast young woman he met two years ago who would evade his displays of affection. She isn’t even that angry woman with a ring on her finger who pushed him in the pool when he claimed that _maybe_ she has feelings for him… This was a woman who was dying to explore who she was, discover her sexuality… with him.

“Yes,” she gently whispered, before opening her eyes and tilting her head up, dying for another kiss.

However, the man just pushed her back down and tightened his hold on her hip, as he released his other hand from holding himself up on the bed. He pressed his body against her as his other hand flew to hold her waist, as he began thrusting in between her legs – thrusting, but not penetrating. But with every way he gently pushed himself against her, threatening to break past her walls and fill her to the brim, the more Vega felt like squirming, begging for the lightning to hit her as she let her hands fly free – tearing at his hair, clawing at his bare hips, just begging, begging for him to come and take her –

“Thain –“

The man breathed against her neck, brushing his wet lips against her skin. “Do you like this?” He seems to plead. “Do you like what I’m doing?” His questions sounded pitiful, as if he was begging.

The woman looked up at him with those beady brown eyes, and nodded.

“Do you like me even?”

The way he said it was more of a desperate bargain for Vega to repeat the words she dropped to him that night before the Almarion. But it was like some cheap trick, some desperate attempt to her those three words again, and sadly – the woman doesn’t even know what he was talking about. But what Vega knows at that moment is that she needs him. _She needs him more than anything_. Probably even more than air. She wants him to fill her up, hilt himself inside of her, and make her feel those things she’d been dying to feel –

“Thain,” she pleaded, whimpering now. “Please!”

The man grunted, thrusting hard and almost driving himself in her folds. “Vega,” he whispered. “For once, darling – I’m going to ask you to yield –“

He gasped, trying to calm himself down from forcing himself into her.

“Please,” he pleaded as well. “Beg for it… Beg for _me_.”

“ _Thain –_ “

The way his voice sounded low and gravelly, and the way he opened his eyes to glare at her, made Vega’s body stiffen up even more.

“ _Say my real name_.”

The desire was turning Vega blind. The more he moved against her, the more she felt like going numb, just wanting for someone to take her – take her for the first time. With the way he looked, the way he glanced at her, the way he kissed her, and the way he was intimate with her, the inflow of passion coming from Tom was too much to bear… what more if it had to do with bodily intimacy. Just the thought of it made her shudder… But unlike the child she was two years ago, this time the more she shuddered, _the more she wanted to claim him_. She felt like she was being driven insane, giving her no place to hide her bodily needs and emotions.

She knew she had to yield.

“I want it!” she whimpered helplessly. “I want you, Tom – Please!”

The man opened his eyes, peered at her with those hooded lids that were just tearing up with desire, as he clenched his jaw and tightened his hold on her waist – ceasing upon teasing her with his cock completely. Upon hearing her command, he stopped… before gently positioning his hips against hers, and entering her slowly.

A gasp escaped Vega’s lungs upon feeling her walls being stretched.

But the first thing that she came to look upon was the man’s strained expression, how he was holding back, how he was trying hard not to cause her pain with his desire, as slowly, inch by inch – he filled her to the brim, causing her to hold her breath and dig her toes further into the mattress as she tangled her fingers in his hair… until he sheathed himself in her completely, letting out a small gasp as he did so. Feeling her body tighten up as he hilted himself within her, the woman writhed against his hold several times, before he gently held her down, and he ceased from moving to help her accommodate to his girth.

With her hands still tangled in his hair, he began to catch his breath as she lay underneath him, trying to do the same. Engulfing her in his arms, he gently whispered to her a question that he’d been dying to ask ever since it happened, as he waited for her get accustomed to his own intrusion with her body.

“Oh darling,” he whispered, gently pressing his lips against her exposed neck. “You taste and feel so sweet…” He gently kissed her again, gently watching her catch her breath, feeling the way her heart drummed softly against his chest, with both of theirs pressed together. “Why withhold this from me, my love?”

Vega opened her eyes, still in a complete daze after the first act. “What –“

“You withheld everything from me, my darling,” Tom whispered as he stroked her hair, while they lied there, both naked, bodies connected, having barely even started.

“I didn’t –“

“Then why hide your true feelings for me, Vega?” The question finally escapes his mouth, as he looked deep down into her chocolate brown eyes, those blue ones begging to hear the truth from her – this time, sober. “Why not tell me in the first place?” His voice sounded so helpless, like a child, asking his mother why she left him all alone.

Flushed with the onset of the erotic act, her insides writhing as she wanted to be pleasured and pounded – only to be met with gentle gazes and sweet whispers, she looked up at him confused, her lips only inches away from his. “I don’t understand –“

The man slowly began to pull out of her, much to her chagrin. Little does she know, he was just getting started. “Oh Vega,” he whispered, brushing his nose against hers as he closed his eyes, moving his hips upward. “You told me on the night we went to the Almarion that you loved me…”

The girl’s pupils dilated upon hearing those words.

“That you were _still_ in love with me…”

“I never –“

Seeing this, Tom clenched his jaw once again, the bone structure prominent on the side of his face, as he roughly kisses her mouth again, his hand flying from her waist to cup her chin. Releasing her face, he exclaimed, “Please don’t deny it this time. Your lips and your body tell another story…” He gasped, having pulled himself out of her, leaving only the tip of his cock within her folds. “Please don’t make it harder for both our hearts by letting your mouth betray us again…”

Eyes tearing up, unable to hide what had been under her mask the entire time, knowing that it was a truth she cannot erase even if she donned another mask at any other given time: whether it was the mask of a _sister, a Press-Person, a fangirl, a roommate, or even a fiancée_ …

“I can’t –“ she stuttered, as she saw how close his lips were to hers, as he slowly began to push himself back in her. “I couldn’t remember –“

Completely ratted out with how his blue eyes glowed, with how her body betrayed her, and how she was curled up in his arms so intimately, Vega realized that her unconscious feelings for Tom could never be hidden, stopped, or diminished.

“If you say so, then,” she looked back up at him with those resigned brown eyes, brimming with tears. “It must be true.”

A soft gasp escaped Tom’s lips as he looked at her, his own eyes tearing up. Unable to hold back any further, he grabbed her face and kissed her passionately – with the same ardor as he always used to, as he felt his chest burn with so much desire for the woman like he never did before, as the heat moved from his chest… down to his stomach… and in between his thighs…

And that’s when Vega whimpered in his mouth.

His lips still affixed on hers, he began to slowly rock his hips, smothering her cries of passion with his mouth. Releasing her lips and allowing her to breathe, he peppered kisses all over her cheeks before returning to his business – dragging himself completely out of her, and slamming back in, causing the girl to slide back on the mattress.

“Oh my G—Oh, oh, _oh –_ “

He snapped his hips forward as he gritted his teeth, in result of the girl sinking her claws upon his arms, leaving indents there that he’d cherish forever. Vega felt herself tighten all around him, only for the sensations to heighten again upon the repeated rhythm of his girth being dragged out and slammed back in, causing her knees to shake with every movement.

Looking at how she seemed completely helpless and resigned to being in his arms, surrendering to his sexual needs, he felt like melting with her – as leaned towards her and pressed his lips against her once more, not willing to let go of her body this time.

Although he started slow, building a momentum, as he never released his lips from hers completely, their breaths mingling as they shared whimpers and whispers, venerations and pleadings, almost in one voice, never separate. But the more he had her beg, the more his movements began to sharpen – with the way he jerked his hips, the way he pushed her down the mattress, the way he crushed his chest against hers to feel her heartbeat against his, and the way she tightened and screamed out his name with every thrust he delivered that hit her to the core like a gong reverberating in a consecrated site.

“ _Unghhh –_ “

However, as their sacred rituals carried on, Tom started to lose control of his body as well, as he watched Vega began to fall apart piece by piece, with the way she whimpered, moaned, the way she struggled underneath his touch, his hold, and the way she kissed him back – all passionate, senseless, and without abandon as he could just feel the sincerity of her desire through those sweet-tasting candied lips... As it was everything he always wanted, and she was everything he always waited for, seeing her come undone before him – by his own doing, caused Tom to slowly break down with his own desire as well.

Their movements were in sync, and despite the woman’s eyes being tight shut, Tom couldn’t help but ghost his parted lips over hers, moving his mouth in the same gesture as she would open hers – Repeating her moans like sweet echoes as he urges her own with the soft and gentle whispers of her name, riding her pleasure, striking her innermost center, delivering her the love she never knew she’d get anywhere else –

“Tom –“

“Darling,” he breathed. “I’m here – Oh…”

“Oh God –“

“Vega –“

“O – _Oh_ – _Oh my God!_ ”

Tangling his hands in her hair as he pushed her down, he began to whimper out her name like a mantra as he repeatedly began to slam himself in between her legs, the slick sound of two bodies repeatedly melding, ringing through the air.

“ _Oh my L—_ “ He cries out breathily, his voice small and shaky. “ _Vega –_ “

Unable to speak, completely rendered mute by pleasure, the girl managed to tug at his hair, whimpering the entire time, motivating him to go faster, thrust deeper with the way her pitiful sounds filled the air, her little whimpers, and the way she squealed when he lifted a leg to thrust himself deeper. Her eyes squinted during the entire ordeal, her lips being devoured and smothered every now and then by the man who claimed he had no bigger love for any woman but her – Vega slowly began to sink into a private haven no one could find and all she could see, hear, and feel was pleasure…and Thomas.

Clawing at his back, leaving lines made by her fingers, she found herself being smothered by his kisses once more – this time in tune with the way he thrust himself in between her legs, causing her body to arch towards his. Tilting her head to have more of his mouth, while the heat was slowly building from her stomach and down to her thighs, burning her from the inside… Vega felt the need to disengage from his lips to come up for air, as she began to feel airheaded and floating, as her eyes began to roll towards the back of her head –

“ _Oh-Ohhhhh—_ “ Tom let out a haunting moan as he felt the woman repeatedly clench around him. “Love, love, you’re –“

Vega let out this gasp as if she was surfacing out of water, gripping his muscled arms for dear life. “Is it –“ she stuttered. “Is that –“

Looking at her with half-lidded eyes hazy with lust, the man gently smoothed down a hand on her stomach, before letting it move even downward. “Darling,” he breathed, his lips brushing against her ear. “ _You’re close…_ ”

A smile brushed against his thin lips as Vega closed her eyes and gasped, tightening her hold on his arms.

“Your first –“ He gasped, unable to finish the sentence as her walls convulsed around him again. “ _D-Do come for me,_ ” the man growled against her ear. “ _Darling._ ”

Eyes flinging wild open, the girl gritted her teeth as she tangled fingers on both hands into his curly blonde hair, as she threw her head back and screamed, her body shuddering all over. In response to this, the man held her close, tightening his hold on her waist as he found his place on the crook of her neck, still thrusting… before sinking his teeth down on her soft skin, biting hard to leave a mark. This was too much for Vega to handle, aside from the climax that was making her entire body heat up. Lips parted, his name left her lips like a veneration, as her lids began to flutter, ignoring how her orgasm washed all over her, claiming her from head to toe.

Seeing how her pupils dilate, with the girl going limp in his arms, seemingly blacking out with how she started to breathe shallowly, with her eyes fixed on his; Tom found his own orgasm threatening to claim him, as he felt himself about to burst – seeing as how he successfully had the woman fall apart underneath him, completely being turned on by the process.

Riding her orgasm till it faded within her, he clenched his jaw as he winced, ignoring the way she tangled her hands in his hair; he continued thrusting within the woman till he felt himself burst inside of her… His pupils dilated, with a desperate look on his face, only to be drowned by comfort and satisfaction, upon realizing what just happened… Unclenching his jaw with his eyes shut closed, as he held her close, almost crushing her head against his chest as he cried out her name – as he slowly felt the fire within him die, as he uncurled his toes pressing against her mattress, his muscles gently flexing as he held on to her body…

Rocking her in his arms as she began to shudder with the aftershocks of the orgasm, Tom held her close, burying his face in her hair as tears began to fall down his face, feeling her lips being pressed against his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her. He felt her slowly release her fingers in his hair as she slid it down his body, resting at his waist – as he found himself arching his own torso over her, clutching her tight, refusing to let her go.

He wanted to say the words he always saved for her, but with the way she slowly began to sink into exhaustion in his arms, he could only repeat it in soft whispers as he left kisses on her temples, her nose, her cheeks, and gently planting one on her parted lips, as she tried to catch her breath…

 

_I love you,_

_I love you,_

_I love you so much…_

 

 

 

***

 

 

When Vega came to her senses, she found herself staring at her ceiling.

She felt all her limbs hurt, and the first thing she thought about was the amount of alcohol she had the night before at the Ladies’ Club. Wincing hard and placing a hand over her head, she found herself groaning – hating herself for getting wasted more than the usual. That’s when she remembered Tom strutting out of the glass window in his Loki outfit, and all the events that followed after…

…that was when the pang in her heart began to ache again.

Frowning, trying to push the bitter thought at the back of her head, Vega got up to a sitting position to look at her clock that read 530am, as she moved the covers away… only to find herself dressed in a very loose black shirt, those expensive laced stockings from the night before… and nothing more.

Blinking, her blurry eyes took notice of her wedding gown that was neatly laid out on her chair, remembering _what happened after she ran from Gale’s Hotel, leading her back home where she ended up putting on the Wedding Dress in fear that she’d never wear it again because she’d have to call off the wedding because of her cheating fiancé…_ and then it just dawned on Vega why she was in _that_ shirt.

Slowly turning her head with her heart beating rapidly in her chest, she then saw a sight that literally took her breath away…

Tom was lying by her side, fast asleep, dressed only in the gym pants he was wearing earlier. He was a vision to be held, with the covers also resting over half of his body, a hand over his bare chest, that was gently rising and falling in tune with his breathing, lips slightly parted as his head was tilted away from her, seemingly dreaming of something that comforted him, considering the contented look on his face.

A gentle smile appearing on her lips, as she brought her legs up to her chest as she found herself admiring him, Vega found herself leaning over him, tempted to leave a small kiss on his cheek – but instead, she stretched out a hand and pushed back those fluffy blonde curls falling on his forehead that looked like golden clouds floating on her pillow –

Upon lifting and disentangling her fingers from his hair, Vega found her hands shaking.

Looking at her hand and back at the man who was still in his sleep, despite having followed the direction of her fingers, turning his face towards her before sinking back into sleep, Vega found her hand trembling upon realizing that _she often had this desire to push back Tom’s beautiful curls with her fingers when she has this beautiful feeling of her heart floating in her chest, whenever she feels like she’s starting to adore and love him again…_

Covering her mouth to hide a gasp, trying to keep silent so not to wake him up, Vega found out how complicated this would be if he comes to himself and _she’s still in bed_.

Carefully and slowly, Vega slipped out of the covers… walked on tiptoes, before grabbing her towel sitting on top of her laundry basket, before silently exiting the room and going straight for the bath.

The first thing she had to do was to slip out of the man’s black shirt, getting a whiff of his scent that went right into her brain, getting her intoxicated. Secondly, she had to get out of those almost torn stockings, that she was wearing the night before… still somewhat reeking of sweat and sex. Flinging the shirt over the laundry basket Max set for the bathroom and folding the used stockings over the sink, Vega swore she has to get the man’s scent off her (even if it made her weak at the knees and giddy for some reason) if she was to march up and punch her so-called fiancé in the nose, just so he couldn’t accuse her of sleeping with another man…

Vega just sighed, realizing that she did sleep with another man…

Turning the shower on and drenching herself with the water, the girl never felt so thankful for the heater that came with the plumbing system. Taking her loofa and scrubbing herself clean, she managed to run it down her neck… only to end up wincing with a slight twang of pain. Raising a hand as she cupped that slope where her neck and shoulder met, Vega found herself touching a soft bump that was as long as her finger and as wide as her thumb…

Frowning, she realized how puffy and swollen it was, trying to remember how she got it…

…when suddenly she felt her knees wobble upon remembering how Thomas peppered her with kisses in the middle of coitus, only to suckle on her neck, pulling a bit of skin between his teeth as she reached her climax…

Eyes as wide as saucers, the act shared between what was supposed to be two best-friends, which escalated to something _more_ – suddenly replayed in her mind; causing Vega to stare blankly at the marbled wall in front of her as she slid down on the flat surface behind her, still clutching at the hickey on her neck, her other hand resting on her chest… As it just dawned on her that she just lost her virginity to the last person she swore she’d give it to –

And she still managed to hand her V-card to Tom.

“Shit.”


	52. Hung Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vega tries to collect her thoughts and calm down in the Way Headquarters after the events that occured post Hen's Do. But Tom wasn't going to forgive her that easily for disappearing from his side the moment he woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the motherfucking Playlist that helped me get through this horrible writer’s block caused by this CRAZY PLOT.
> 
> 1\. Hung Up / Madonna  
> 2\. Kill My Boyfriend / Natasha Kills  
> 3\. PDA / John Legend  
> 4\. Cry Me A River / Justin Timberlake

There was a smile on his face you could not explain only with words the moment he woke up.

It almost looked as if he was stepping out of a dream…

 

There was almost a lightheaded feeling to how he stretched out on the bed and how he wished to stay beneath the covers, despite the fact that this wasn’t his routine during most mornings. After all, most mornings he’d furrow his brow, blink twice before checking his clock and his phone sitting on the nightstand, before grumbling on how he didn’t manage to get up earlier, why he’s running out of time to take a jog, why he didn’t set the appointment later… but as you would notice that the man has a secret desire to just sleep in. Of course, there are days when he wakes up in someone else’s bed, when he’d be polite to offer to cook them breakfast, stay and cuddle with them for a while, be a gentleman, before slipping back in his clothes and continue on with his schedule.

This was the first time he woke up in someone else’s bed where he just wanted to stay in there for the rest of the day. After all, it was a Sunday, and what a wonderful Sunday it was.

However, the moment he came to himself, with those sweet blue bedroom eyes that was brimming with so much joy and love in them… He turned around and gently ran his hands on the surface of the bed, only to realize that he was alone.

There was some sort of confusion etched on Tom’s face when he lifted his head from those white floral pillows, as he sleepily looked around the room that was supposed to be his best-friend’s… only to find out that it was almost eight in the morning, breakfast still isn’t ready, and there’s no one left at the flat.

Never had the man bounded so quickly out of bed.

Quickly peeking out of the bedroom, he licked his lips, wanting to whisper, “Oh sweetie, come out, come out wherever you are” as he scoured the rest of the flat, checking the empty bathroom, taking a glance at Max’s bedroom and probably his room – thinking that the woman may have the guts and the humor to hide from him there. (After all, there was a case once when an old flame did try to hide from him in another room – and that did result in one of the best morning sex Tom has ever experienced, but of course – any sex he has experienced couldn’t amount to _what happened last night_.) But to his chagrin, he found out he was truly alone in the shared flat.

Suddenly breakfast didn’t matter, even tea did not sound palatable to him.

He stood there, rubbing the back of his head, running his fingers through his curls, wondering where did he go wrong. _And everything seemed to be so right_ … he thought, looking around the empty living room, trying to remember the smile on the woman’s face, and how nice it felt when she finally passed out in deep sleep, curling up in his arms as he slowly drew the covers over their naked bodies…

_What did I do wrong?_

Then came that dampening cloud that hovered over his head, that sinking feeling, his chest seemingly tightening, as if everything that has been done or said has been for naught, wondering where she ran off, where she went to –

Trying to pull himself together, Tom found a new resolve as he looked around the room, seemingly looking for something, something that can help him, something that can bridge the gap…

…and then he found his black iPhone that he left on the coffee table that early morning.

 

 

 

***

 

 

Somewhere in London – someone was staring at their vibrating phone as well.

 

_VEGGIE-EFFIN-SCAREDY PIE! Please tell me you didn't run off to another striptease show! - MG_

_Alright girls! I've uploaded the pictures from last night! - MP_

_Come on! We're doing a Mercenary Roll Call! Let us know if you're doing okay after last night! - MG_

_VEGA COME ON GO ONLINE I'VE GOT REALLY NICE PICS OF YOU - LF_

_HEY MISS BRIDE CAN'T WE GET A LITTLE HOOT? WE MISSED YOU! – MP_

_I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU RAN OFF, YOU LITTLE TWIT! YOU OWE US ONE MORE GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT, WOMAN! - LF_

_Hey Star! Just saying hello… wondering how you've been? - RG_

_Hello babe. How are you? – GH_

If there was one thing that would have infuriated Vega even further, it was those two messages she received from the two people whom she would have considered her closest, yet the two who managed to stab her in the back.

Vega’s head is basically made of radio static as of the moment.

She couldn’t think straight, nor can she think quietly. Sitting in the empty office floor where the Celebrity Showdown cubicles are located, Vega found herself sitting on a windowsill as she stared down at the gray carpeted floor… staring at her still vibrating iPhone.

As much as she wanted to answer the girls that she was fine, and that she’s just wanting a little bit of space after finding out that her fiancé is cheating on her – Vega knew by the way her hands shook as she held her phone the moment she got from the office after almost sprinting from the flat, that if she isn’t careful – she might end up setting her girls on a mob gathering outside Gale’s Hotel. Or worse, she might slip and say about what activities she has been doing before morning…

However, the moment she saw her so-called fiancé’s and her Maid of Honor’s messages, the flame just went up Vega’s system again and next thing she knows, she has thrown the brand new iPhone (that was barely a month) on the floor, had found herself sitting on the windowsill, her head buried in her hands as she muttered curses in her native language.

That was when she heard it moving and vibrating against the gray carpet floor once more, and Vega had to look up from her hands, glaring at it suspiciously. Wearing an angry smirk on her face, she picked it up to see what kind of shit would have been sent to her –

 

 

 

**Thain**

 

_Vega, darling, where did you go?_

_Honey, please talk to me._

_Oh Lords, please tell me I didn't drive you away again..._

_Please say something._

_Anything?_

_Aeo? Sissy? I beg you, I just need to know you're alright. x_

 

 

As the girl’s eyes widened at the screen, she suddenly was aware of how she probably fucked up and left the entire situation in ruins – only for her best-friend to wake up in the ashes of a passionate affair that just blazoned everything down in its path…

And it was enough to drown Vega with guilt.

After all, all she could think of was the fact that she promised herself that she wouldn’t put Tom in a situation where he’d become a danger to himself once more… considering what happened after New Year. With the turn of events and how she was in a hurry to get out of the fire, suddenly Vega was so afraid that Tom may end up being emotionally compromised – the one thing she doesn’t want him to spiral down into, and this time it’s _completely_ her fault…

Biting her nails, Vega had to put her reply on hold considering that she didn’t know what to say, or how to explain herself why she had to get dressed from her own duffle bag which she had to quietly lug out of the room just so not to wake her sleeping roommate she just fucked an hour or two before, or why she was in a hurry to scram to work when in fact it was a fucking _Sunday_. But of course, there was a reason for _everything_ …

After all, how could you tell a man whom you’ve always looked up to, someone whom you’ve held in high regard despite endlessly fighting and bickering with him on numerous occasions, someone you’ve held so fondly in memory and reality; that you had to run away from an act of love, seduction, and tenderness because of the fear that the mess made in your head – about your impending marriage, your own feelings for him, _everything_ else would ruin that special little thing you hold with him? How do you explain that?

You don’t. You clear your head first.

Well that’s what Vega would say… instead of facing her fears head on. Typical Vega, you would say. But it wasn’t typical Vega to stand there, staring blankly at those texts – those beautiful words, those carefully placed words that only brimmed with passion – with much unrestrained yearning, a longing she never dared to recognize even before.

Vega had always been claiming that she’s “aware of the consequences of her actions”, but for the past two years, she says this line as if she does not fully understand it. She claims she knows the consequences of her actions upon telling Tom that she does have feelings for him at the Eureka Skydeck back in Melbourne, yet she couldn’t decide whether she wants to spend her life with him or not. She claims she knows the consequences of “burying the hatchet” and reconciling with him despite the fact that she decided to marry another man… She also claims that she knows the consequences of going back to her ex despite Sebastian Gale having a record of cheating on her before, just so she can cover up for the guilt of “dumping” her best-friend and the fear that she’d never find someone as perfect (yet so unreachable and incompatible – as she used to think) like Thomas…

And here she is again, thinking she knows the consequences of throwing all her other cares away by turning her head in the other direction, closing her eyes, and losing her virginity to the Best Man… At this point, Vega swore she doesn’t know shit about anything.

But there was one thing she knows and was sure about…

It was that one thing that keeps nipping at the back of her head when she ran out of the flat. The one thing that keeps rapping on the door of her brain, begging to be recognized, acknowledged. It was consuming her, even if she tries not to think about it. It was like a fire eating at her insides, never letting her keep still, reminding her of the blaze that was coming from the depths of her center… _wanting more_ …

 _No wonder they called it drugs_ , Vega thought as she angrily bit at her nails, thinking she already got rid of the habit when she graduated from University. _You ingest it and it takes over your brain, and it’s all you can think about when it runs through your veins…_ And true enough, as she left the iPhone lying with its face on the floor, Vega stood up and started nitpicking at the tidbits running in her brain, eating at her soul…

They’re not even memories… They were _sensations_ …

 

The feeling of skin on one’s skin…

The feeling of someone’s breath on the back of your neck…

The way the back of someone’s fingers ran across your bare skin, tracing your ribs…

The smell of their perfume – _No_ –

The smell of their musk after a shower…

Their smell when their body heats up as they press themselves against you…

_The taste of their mouth when they whimper against your lips how much they love you –_

 

Vega felt herself tearing at her hair realizing where all of these _feelings were leading to_ – **_whom_ **_they were referring to_! She felt a shiver overtake her spine as she opened her eyes, realizing that this wanton fire spreading from her head down to her stomach and towards her center is the purest form of lust – not even – _desire for someone whom she knew she wanted inside out despite everything her head told her…  Her heart’s most inner desire to have Tom –_

The poor woman had to stop tearing at her hair and open her eyes in complete realization of what was driving her mad. And she just had to stop running her fingers and tugging at her tresses considering that this was what _he was doing_ the night before, when he climaxed within her –

Grunting frustratingly, Vega threw her hands up in the air, picked up her iPhone from the floor and slammed it on the table, thinking of going to the pantry for a full mug of coffee just so she can calm her nerves.

 

 

***

 

 

_Ring!_

 

“Yep?”

_Is this Miss Guerrero of the Showdown Department?_

“Steve, you know who I am.”

 _Hello Miss Vega! I was just making sure._ _Well, a package has arrived for one of your co-workers. Shall I send it right up?_

“A package? It’s a Sunday – Oh God, this might be Carrie buying those expensive BB creams from Korea again. Fine, fine. Send it up.”

_Alright then, it’ll be there shortly Miss Vega. Have a great day!_

“You too.”

 

 

Clucking her tongue, Vega placed down the office phone and found herself looking at her duffel bag and its contents in complete disarray as she looked for her pair of glasses that she believed that she has dumped in the lot while packing in a hurry that morning.

It wasn’t really an easy task considering she had packed a bag in preparation for the Hen’s Do in case she would have to stay over, drunk, at the girls’ hotel or the flat, even if she did want to go back to her fiancé’s hotel. But after what went down and what she discovered, she was thankful that she had a packed bag, as it was the first thing she noticed and unpacked while she was in tears the moment she arrived at the flat. However, that morning when she woke up in bed with her best-friend, she had to drag it out of the room unnoticed – if she didn’t want to deal with an awkward situation in case Tom woke up.

While she felt like there was nowhere else to run to or hide for at least a day, Vega found solace in the Way Headquarters. Being a prestigious magazine company with some departments working overnight, they have provided a budget to cater to employees needs by creating an entertainment center and decent sleeping quarters that could house and accommodate 3-5 departments, around twenty to twenty-five people. Promotional officers would often take overnights before going on excursions and have the quarters booked, while fashion artists and props designers would occupy the floor during busy weeks especially towards publication deadlines. But that one Sunday, there were no projects to finish or deadlines to reach, the office would be considered empty – save for the employees who have several reports to finish, refuse to go home and just want to abuse the strong, free wifi – like Vega.

Two years ago, Vega wouldn’t consider hiding in the Way HQ sleeping quarters, considering she wasn’t aware about it and she wasn’t entitled to it, considering that she was just a visiting Junior Promotional Officer. After all, they were all issued own hotel rooms for the trip, _and hiding from an over-eager British Actor_ would mean possibly changing hotels or giving the receptionist a huge tip. But now considering circumstances, Vega would like to think that _she isn’t really hiding_ (and she is just too afraid to admit that if she sees him she might do unspeakable things her head won’t forgive her for), and between the flat and that horrific hotel where her so-called fiancé stays in… Way HQ is quiet enough for her brain to settle down and sort things out.

Now considering the pair of glasses she has been looking for, Vega had to palm her face remembering that she left it on her bed stand… and there is no way in hell she’d go back to the flat when she’s fucked up, shivering, impulsive, and disturbed – _Not when she doesn’t know what to say to him_.

“No reports or reviews for the weekend then,” she muttered under her breath as she closed the zipper and dumped the bag on the swivel chair Topher often occupies.

Ruffling her hair, she decided to make her way for the hallway, leaving the empty office floor on its own as she thought about having another trip to the pantry, probably getting a bottle of milk before returning to her cubicle, watching those weird videos her cousins have been throwing on Facebook as she passes the time.

However, the moment she opened the doors, she found herself staring up at a man who was seemingly standing there the entire time, his eyes obscured by a pair of sunglasses, and his head covered with a dark blue baseball cap.

Vega felt her heart crashing down in the recesses of her stomach when he removed those shades, the familiar shade of blue making her blood run cold, her heart pounding faster than a beating drum.

Unable to speak as all her fears were realized – even worse than finding out how involved he was in the photoshoot project two years ago, and more horrifying upon finding out that the same man melted her nephew’s chocolate prizes to use it as sex fodder – Vega found herself stepping backwards, hands getting clammy… as the man who played the Evil God of Mischief, the same man who made her scream his name out the night before… sauntered in the room, looming over her.

He was tall, he was lean, he was menacing – _he was all that_. It didn’t help with how he moved towards her, so graceful and so threatening at the same time… And there was something about how his stubble framed his face or how the way he parted his lips caused her own chest to tighten as he licked his lips and had those sapphire eyes focused on her as she found out she ran out of space to walk on, her ass hitting August’s cubicle at the end of the line. And all of this, the way he stalked towards her, the way he looked at her… _and the way he turned around to take off his hat letting his curls pop out_ , just made her insides burn with _this want and need that wasn’t new at all_ – not since the night before.

“Vega,” he said in that deep and guttural, the way it echoed in the office and inside her brain causing the heat to pool from her stomach down between her legs. “We need to talk.”

She actually found herself praying that he didn’t notice how she gulped, subtly unbuttoning her shirt to allow her to breathe, not knowing what effect it did to the man as veins began to appear on the sides of his neck, as he literally had his own anxiety attack as he paced the flat repeatedly, trying to decide or form a plot to probably get the girl cornered, have her talk to him about this “little thing” (that wasn’t so little at all) that happened between them, or probably have her do _something more_ … He was so unsure, so afraid she’d probably block him off again, set up her walls so high that he couldn’t get right through to her…

But with everything set in motion, having things on his side for once, the moment she opened the door and looked up at him with those brown eyes filled with shock – he felt a fire within him burn as he stepped towards her, as he found the confidence to approach her…

And for once in his life, Tom felt the hybrid of determination, power, and a blazing desire that he knew would burn Vega down to bits if he unleashed it.

But still, she managed to try and keep her calm despite the man eating up her presence with that delicious soul-sucking glare as she cleared her throat in an attempt to take over the situation. She dared to look down at the carpeted floor and turned around to approach that bulking duffel bag she left a few seats away – subtly taking note of it as the ticket out of that wanton look her roommate had been laying on her person with those burning blue eyes.

Pretending to open it, looking for a piece of clothing, Vega ignored the way his glare seemed to strip her off her clothes… slowly peeling her hoodie away from her person to slowly work on her plaid shirt, as she gritted her teeth to take away those dirty thoughts in her head as the man (who triggered all of these feelings) stood motionless behind her.

Trying to get a distance from him, Vega tried not to look in his eyes or even let him touch her person, because she knew one thing… she knew one thing at that exact moment of panic and lust – that if he lays a finger on her, _just one finger –_ she’d lose all inhibition and do unspeakable things to the man she’d regret later. Like pushing him down the ground and riding him like a mechanical bull.

“What is it about?” He didn’t expect her voice to be calm and accommodating, although it didn’t match that shock and that small gasp that escaped her lips when she laid her eyes on his hulking 6’2 glory. She strained to keep that gentle tone of friendliness and enthusiasm that she used on him whenever they’d see each other out of context, like during the time when they would meet up at Orleans and say hello before getting on with coffee and plotting the lovelife of two of their friends. But little does Vega know that she couldn’t hide that layer of frustration or fear underneath her sunny tone. “Can’t it wait till we get back to the flat?”

But the voice that answered her back was ice and fire at the same time, the coldness of desperation and the fire of that passion she insistently refuses to recognize.

“Are you even going back to the flat?” Tom retorted, causing Vega to dare look at him – recognizing the look of hunger, mixed with yearning and disappointment. Frowning, Vega knew calling him _Thain_ wouldn’t help – and considering that sunny tone she was using earlier, she knew they couldn’t go back to that kind of friendship… _after everything that happened_.

Upon seeing that strained expression on his face, with the frustration in his eyes, Vega blinked… realizing that there was no way she’d be fooling Tom. In fact, she knew she couldn’t skirt her way around him, not like she happened to do so before – considering that the man wasn’t aware of her possible reactions and response to certain situations back then. But having spent almost two months with him on the get go the first time around, and living with him in a shared flat for almost a year… Vega knew exactly was going on in Thomas’s head, and she was certainly sure that he had figured out all of her tricks and cheats when it comes to her emotions… And after what happened last night, she swore she felt as naked as she was in that bed, with the man reading her like an open book.

“I don’t –“ she stammers, as she finds herself losing all control with her shields crashing down as she slipped to sit on a chair, sinking her face in her hands, appearing vulnerable for him for once. “I just don’t…” She let out this small sigh, unable to look at him. “I don’t feel well; I – I don’t think I’m functioning right…”

She lifts her face to glance at him, seeing how that glare softened to something of concern, as he literally had to stop himself from throwing himself at her and crushing her with a hug. Little does she know that the man tried to keep his feelings under wrap as well, as he was supposed to let her know of his pain, of how he’s hurting with the way she ran off again… and how he secretly wished he could chastise her for that by flooding her with his emotions in a physical manner –

“I’m sorry,” she pleaded; the words he wanted to hear spilling out of her like guilt-trapped waters. “I am just a mess right now, but I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings –“

“Too late,” the voice that croaked out of Tom was almost choked up as he pocketed his hands, smoothing them down his jeans. “I guess one’s heart feels a little bit broken when they reach out beside them only to find that the bed is empty… though sometimes you’re not sure if that person didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

The woman he was talking to opened her mouth in surprise, not expecting that reply from him. Somewhat, this kind of response comforted Tom. But then Vega felt even more useless as she pursed her lips, remembering how peaceful and serene the man looked when she woke up from bed, the happiness in his face prompting her to run her hand through his curls… She turned to look up at him with his eyes now evading her, looking like the complete opposite of the angel she found lying to her next in bed.

“Look,” she exclaimed, as she suddenly got up on her feet, hands shaking as she tried to stop herself from getting closer, not trusting herself at all if she feels his skin underneath her fingertips – “Can we talk about this –“

“Good,” Tom grunted all of a sudden, as Vega felt the hairs on the back of her neck prick up when the man moved with one solid motion as he turned around, closed the door, and locked it… before turning to look at her, that glare visible on his face once more, with a fire that could not be quenched drowning in his eyes. “Because that’s what I wanted.”

The look he gave her was so hungry, so predatory. Vega felt like sitting back down on the swivel chair, but she knew she was going to be just as vulnerable as she was standing up, so she found herself tightly gripping the wooden cubicle behind her. It didn’t help how Tom licked his lips _and lunged at her_.

There was a scuffle…

Someone pulling at another’s leather jacket and tugging at their blue threadbare shirt, someone gripping someone’s arm, someone roughly threading their fingers down someone’s shoulder-length hair to have their face tilted up; and then someone carrying another up only to sit them down on the surface of the wooden desk, their small feet dangling on the edge of the desk… their flats about to fall…

Vega tried shoving Tom away, but she knew she had no power over how his hand was snaked around the back of her head, or how his other hand was clamped to her waist. Despite the panic she was having, she couldn’t hide the hooded lust brimming in her eyes, or the excitement that pounded in her chest that reminded her of the hot flow of energy flooding her body like the night when he pressed his naked body against her and took her for the first time –

It was both unfortunate and fortunate for her, since Tom saw this change of emotion in her eyes, causing him to growl.

Then came the rough, smothering kisses.

It was too rough, and almost dry – a pair of lips crashing against each other, teeth clashing against another, as they almost ate each other’s faces. It was wild, rasping, and animalistic. Realizing that she has to come up for breath, she managed to yank the man’s face off her own, causing him to press his body against hers… as his lips traveled upwards, burying his face in her hair, breathing in the smell of strawberries that made up her hair conditioner. But there was that specific tang, that odor that just kept him intoxicated, laid upon a hint of peppermint… that he recognized as his own…

“Mmmm,” he groaned against her hair as Vega found her face smothered into his chest as she tightly gripped his leather jacket, trying to gasp for air. “I can still smell myself on you…”

The girl let out a gasp as she looked up, only for her lips to be recaptured again, as a voice in her head reveled in these newfound sensations, her hunger slowly being satiated with how Tom roughly ran his hands through her locks and how he slipped his other hand up her spine, causing her entire person to shudder. But yet there was another feeling that was shrinking within her, a very old familiar feeling of panic that was slowly losing to the passion that the man was just squeezing out of her… Especially at that specific moment when he managed to pry her legs open, as he pressed his crotch against hers, with his strained erection rubbing against the inside of her thigh, causing her to gasp in his mouth, her body shuddering with the intrusion.

A small naughty chuckle escaped Tom as Vega found her hand shooting up to grab the back of his head, knocking his cap to the floor, as she felt him roll his hips against hers, making her wonder _how much she needed it that she was willing to be fucked by this man again_ … And this made her gasp.

“Can you feel it?” He whispered teasingly, his lips brushing her lobes, almost rendering her limp in his arms. “Can you feel how _hard I am for you Miss Star –_ “

Vega gasped once more, turning red – as she managed to push him away from her.

Tom regained his balance, only to shoot a dejected glare in her direction. The woman’s expression was that of strained ecstasy… _and shame_ , the she refused to look in his eyes as she gripped the edges of the cubicle she was sitting on, shutting her legs closed. “I can’t –“ she cried out, closing her eyes tightly. “I just can’t –“

“You keep on saying that,” he grunted, running a thumb on his lips, as if he was savoring the kiss that was forcefully stolen from him just when he was enjoying it “But you don’t know what you mean –“

“I can’t do this, alright?” The woman exploded, slamming her hands down on the table. Looking up to find the confused expression on the man’s face, she gritted her teeth and tried to remedy the situation – at least try to explain what she’s feeling. “I’m in the middle of a crossroads, Tom,” she reasoned out. “I don’t want to become the one thing I hate –“

“And that is?”

“I swore myself to someone,” she said through gritted teeth, those eyes looking up to meet with his, as she recognized the confusion mixed with pain. “I don’t want to _attempt_ to right a wrong by doing another wrong –“ The way Tom shook his head at her, squinted his eyes and furrowed his brow just caused her to panic even more. “Tom, I’m supposed to get married in a few days and –“

“ **BUT HE DOESN’T LOVE YOU, VEGA!!!** ” The man finally exploded, causing the girl to almost fall off where she was sitting on. “ **HE DOESN’T LOVE YOU! How many times are we supposed to discuss this –** “He angrily ruffled his hair with a free hand with his other hand sitting on his waist. “ ** _No self-respecting man would sleep with another woman if he truly loves the girl he’s going to marry!_** ” He felt like screaming.

“ **NOW WE ALL KNOW HE DOESN’T LOVE YOU –** “ The woman found herself raising her head in complete shock upon hearing the words from him. “ **Everyone knows, Vega! _EVERYONE KNOWS._ NOW THERE’S SOMEONE WHO’S JUST DYING TO LOVE YOU, IF YOU’D ONLY LET HIM –** “ Tom knew he had to stop speaking, almost screaming… when Vega sank her head in her hands again, seemingly wanting to cover out the sounds, cover out his screaming, shut out everything –

“Vega –“

“GOD!” The way she explodes causes Thomas to back away as well. But there was something in her eyes, the way it brimmed with tears that just stabbed at his heart. “JUST GIVE ME TIME TO THINK! I JUST WANT TO BE ALONE, I JUST –“

His hand shook, as he looked at her, the way she quivered with confusion, the pain just seeping through her veins… as he slowly realized how overwhelming this is for Vega. And for someone who had trouble deciding between everything, considering how the entire situation was new to her, having found out about the cheating boyfriend a day ago… He realized that he might have pushed her too far.

“Vega…”

He tried to approach her, try to hold her in his arms as he always did, wanting to comfort her… But the moment he placed a hand on her shoulder, Vega lifted her head up in a flash and backed away from his touch, causing Tom to drown with the feeling of pained distress, seemingly thinking that the woman must be disgusted by him. Little does he know that every touch he places on her sends a small jolt of electricity, that undying proof of chemistry, that shoots through Vega’s body – keeping her awake and alive, and reminding her of that burning fire she has for him… that she can no longer kill.

He backs away, voice faltering. “I just…“

He tried to make reasons for his actions. “I just want –”

She refuses to look at him, knowing that the desire burning in her eyes would give her away. Tom interprets this as something else, something painful, causing him to feel ashamed of having to suddenly lunge at her – hold her, and try to claim her for his own once again –

Gritting his teeth, he whispered a soft, “I’m sorry”… before turning around to unlock the door and exit the room.

Vega had to catch her breath and deal with the raging thoughts that were racing in her mind before she realized that Tom was gone. The tension in the room when he was around was suffocating her, she barely even noticed how he teared up when he whispered the last words she heard before he went past the door and closed it gently behind him.

“I just need time to think… I just need time to think…”

She repeatedly muttered to herself as she ended up biting her lower lip, furrowing her eyebrows as she thought about how she just needed time to herself to sort things out. But as she moved on to nibbling her fingernails, she suddenly found herself worrying about all the anger, the frustration, and the tears forming in Tom’s glassy blue eyes and how it made _her insides burn with need_ –

Next thing she knew, she had jumped off the cubicle, flung the door open, and was sprinting across the hall.

 

 

 

***

 

 

Vega felt her heart sank in complete fear as she saw the elevator light go off and descend to the next floor. Looking around frantically, she found herself looking at the service elevator – that just managed to close its doors. Moving faster than the speed of light, she found herself pounding the down button – only for the mechanism to emit that familiar sounding chime.

 

_Ting!_

 

Clamping her small hands on the door, she muttered something about pressing the hold button – only to find herself staring at Joss Fletcher, one of the seniors of the marketing department holding the door for her.

“Hey there,” he greeted her as she took her place beside the big burly 40-something man, who has worked almost his entire life at Way.

“Hello Joss,” she greeted him with a calculating smile on her face, her eyes slowly falling at the other man standing on the far right of the elevator, wearing a blue baseball cap over his blonde curls, trying to disappear in the corner. “Running an all nighter again?”

“Yeah, huge deadline on Tuesday,” the man spoke in a crisp English Accent, smiling down at his co-worker whom he only met with several times with the attendance of Darryl Meyer. “I’ve got to go home, get changed, and probably drop by again for Ron who was left upstairs –“

Vega felt herself nodding, crossing her arms as she leaned on her side of the elevator, running a hand on her blue hoodie jacket’s sleeve, trying to ignore the fact that the man she was supposed to talk to was standing on the other side of the elevator, quiet and seemingly acting incognito, pretending he wasn’t listening to the discussion between the woman and the Senior Accountant.

Now as the elevator went down, Vega found herself wondering why a service elevator would be that crowded during a lazy Sunday Morning. Considering that she was left behind by the main elevators, seemingly pursuing someone; the man standing quietly as he hunched over himself, trying to reduce his height has his own reasons for taking that elevator too – considering that he probably counted to ten before taking the first elevator that turned up, seemingly _waiting for something to happen_. Now with Vega standing in the same elevator, you have no idea how loud was Tom’s heart pounding on his chest.

As for Joss, his motives are the most laziest and normal of them all. The main elevators stop at the lobby, so most of them parked within the Way HQ often take the service elevators for a straight ride to the lower levels, without having to switch lifts.

As this somewhat made sense to Vega, comforting her with the fact that Joss probably thinks it’s all a coincidence why she was suddenly blocking the lift doors with her hands, and it has nothing to do with the man who came from the 25th floor that was supposedly devoid of people… save for one Editor. Trying to keep the act up, considering that Tom was trying to pretend that he wasn’t there at all, pocketing his hands in a corner, Vega started chatting with the Accounting Senior.

“I heard about the big deadline,” she started, looking up at the man with the gray hair. “Is Ron doing alright?”

“He’s lacking sleep, but he’ll be fine –“ he answered. “Johnsson needs the report for the big meeting with the board on Wednesday, no wonder we are on fire –“

“You and Ron on the case? Only?”

“Oh we’ve got Chelsea, Martin, George, and Kristoph on it; but Chelsea would be back tomorrow, and Martin is supposedly on Paternity leave so –“

 

_Ting!_

 

“Ah well, missy,” he said, smiling at Vega, clutching his briefcase. “Here’s my stop. Send my regards to Holly and Darryl!” He then stepped off the lift at the 5th Level, as the smaller girl in the casual clothes and the hoodie just nodded at him before reaching over to close the lift doors.

Silence suddenly filling the elevator, Vega found the hairs at the back of her neck rising as she felt someone’s stare slowly drilling a hole at the back of her skull –

 

_Ting!_

 

For some reason, it stopped at the next floor… as Steve – that same personnel from Security who was her sort-of Christmas companion – stepped in, wearing a peculiar black jacket over his uniform, almost making it seem he wasn’t part of Security at all.

“Hello Miss Vega,” he says cheerfully to which the girl just nods at him in surprise, as the man took his place just right front of the doors. Blinking wondering what Steve was doing in the parking floors, _completely missing the way the ash-blonde man with the security cap subtly turned around to nod at the man behind him with the blue baseball cap._ “Off to the Underground Café?”

Vega raised her head after leaning it against the elevator wall, recognizing the Café that he mentioned which was somewhat positioned at the lowermost parking floor – exclusive for Way Employees. Of course Steve knew about it, after all they sold the best club sandwiches and had those mango-flavored iced teas that reminded Vega of home.

“Well, yeah,” she lied, blinking. “I am kinda hungry…”

“You better give it a look then,” the man said in a cheerful tone, his hand lingering over the elevator button dashboard, seemingly affixing something over one of the holes. “I heard that the Café may be closed during Sundays, but you know me –“ He said with a chuckle. “I’m fairly busy to be a regular there.”

Vega shrugged. “Yeah, I think I will.”

He stopped the lift at the 3rd floor and stepped off. But before he could completely release the hold button, he turned to the girl again and said, “I heard the Fashion Department just wrapped up their all nighter this morning. The Quarters is completely at your dispense, Miss Vega.”

Making an impressed face, the girl said, “That’s great.”

“Just give me a little ring on the intercom if you need me,” Steve said with a wink, about to turn away.

“Yeah I will,” Vega called out, hitting the close button on the elevator doors. “Thanks Steve.”

The guard then turned to her and tipped his hat… before smiling at the other man standing on the other side of the elevator, completely quiet as a mouse. “Ma’am,” Steve exclaimed, tipping his hat to Vega. “Sir.” And with that the elevator door closed on his face.

The smaller woman found herself breaking the silence as she spoke out her thoughts, as the elevator began to descend, seemingly left alone with the man in the blue baseball cap.

“That’s weird,” Vega said out loud, wondering about the security’s sudden appearance at the 4th Level Parking Lobby, when he should be downstairs at the reception – considering that this is where he is supposedly stationed most of the time, especially during Holidays and Sundays when there are barely any security personnel to make rounds in the building.

But there was also a remote reason why Vega found herself speaking out loud… and this was to somehow break the icy silence she has been sharing with the man that was supposed to play her Best Man who have occupied the same lift with her for the past five minutes.

“I wonder why Steve’s –“

Even before she could notice it, Tom made a quick sudden movement – hitting the red button that read EMERGENCY ALL STOP as a loud alarm began to fill the air, halting the lift in the middle of the 3rd and 2nd parking levels.

Wide eyed and shocked, Vega turned to her roommate, screaming, “What the fuck are you doing –“ when all of a sudden, Tom turned around this key Steve left in the “Fail-Safe” hole, effectively silencing the shrill cry of the alarm, filling the air, that lasted two seconds.

Removing her hands from her ears, eyes horrified, she turned to her so-called best-friend, fury in her eyes. “You better know what you’re doing, Thomas, or else –“

To her surprise, there was something about the way he moved… the way he turned around and knocked that blue cap off his head, releasing those glorious gold curls that fell across his forehead, as he threw himself at her, pressing her to the elevator wall.

Vega felt her entire body stiffening up with the way he snaked his hands around her waist, his other hand securing her neck as he nudged her chin up with his thumb, as he leaned down to look deep into her eyes – causing her to look directly at those blues that were literally screaming how much he wanted to eat her up in the spot. Unfortunately, this released this violent shiver down her spine – as Tom felt it too, causing him to lick his lips knowing that within that four metal walls, _Vega cannot run or hide_.

“Steve is so handy with back end operations,” he says roughly, his lips just inches from hers, ghosting upon her mouth, completely holding himself back from smothering hers once more. “Must have learned all he can when he served both as Security and Engineering at Active Prospects –“

Vega’s eyes widened, recognizing the company to where Fred belonged. _How can I fucking forget that he worked for Frederick_ , she thought as she gritted her teeth, completely being frozen still with how Tom parted his lips, about to devour her own. It didn’t help with how he managed to lift her up against the wall, and that she was almost on tiptoes. _Jesus fucking Christ, how much did they tip the man to –_

She felt like sneering at Tom, recognizing the trap. “The man must owe _Fred_ a lot that he’d do things for _you_ –“

The man licked his lips as he pressed his forehead against hers, as he gently nudged her legs apart with his knee, as he eased his crotch against her own, rubbing that fine damn erection against her jeans once more, making her nipples harden underneath her bra. “Ah my little Star,” he mused, licking his lips once more, preparing for what was to come. “So sharp –“

He tilted his head about to smother her, when Vega had to swing her head out of the way – those warm lips brushing against her cheek as she did so. But as Tom retracted from her, clearly getting annoyed – she couldn’t hide the fact that this made her _so excited_ to a point that it was overriding her brain and mindlessly making her panic, as she gave herself away with the way she breathed…

“C-Can’t we t-talk about this,” she stammered, brown eyes looking up at him with anxiety. “Like adults?”

The aggressiveness Tom displayed after that was enough to send Vega into a trance, her entire body numb with pleasure – or what was to come, as he managed to tug her hair, pulling her face upwards, in an angle where she can no longer evade his lips.

“Start talking then,” he said in this deep gravelly voice that sent a rising heat pooling down her stomach, as he leaned down and consumed her lips with his.

 

It felt like fever.

 

No, the kiss at the rooftop the second time around two years ago felt like fever.

 

This felt like a raging forest fire.

 

This was what Vega feared (and wanted) – losing all inhibition as she found herself tangling her fingers into the man’s hair, as she smothered his lips with her own, parting and unparting them as she allowed him to slip his tongue inside her mouth, savoring the taste within her, causing her to moan against his lips, the vibrations humming through his entire being.

Making out aside, Vega realized how much more this man wanted to do to her – as he pulled the zipper down on her hoodie and almost ripped it off her person… only for his big hands to rest on her breasts, kneading them as he continued kissing her, as if his lips were forever attached to her mouth, never removing it even if they both had to be pried apart.

Vega had to come up for air as the man dipped down to suckle on her exposed neck, his stubble brushing hard against her soft skin, as he managed to unbutton her plaid shirt – revealing her black laced brassiere, his fingers tracing the patterns before he managed to pull them down and exposing those hardened nipples, causing the woman to gasp when he took both of them in between his thumb and index finger.

“Gods –“

The man looked up at her as he heard her mutter something under her breath, and she could see how fucking intoxicated Tom was with her, considering the hooded eyes and the way he bit his lower lip, causing Vega to burn with even more need for him to ravage her –

But then all her thoughts, all her musings, and all her fears were melted into a pile of goo when the man closed his eyes and took a hardened nipple in his mouth, causing a shudder to run through the woman’s body.

“ _Fuck!_ ”

The way she found herself tiptoeing caused her to almost rise off her shoes, her converse flats left on the ground, her bare feet almost brushing the cold elevator wall as she struggled to gain control of herself as she felt the man’s wet lips envelop her breasts, as he repeatedly twirled his tongue round and round her hardened nub… with his right index finger and thumb pinching her other nipple—

Vega felt like screaming, but she found herself biting down on the back of her hand, considering _that someone might hear them_ ,or worse – have allof this captured on camera.

This was the thought that woke her up from her sexual trance, her eyes flinging wide open.

“Tom –“

She tried to get his attention, but the man was busy moving his head, trying to get a better taste of her breast, causing her to grit her teeth and try to regain her footing on the floor, her mind racing with the fear of being caught. “Tom, will you –“

Little does she realize, in the middle of him suckling on her breasts, in the middle of her trying to get his attention, Vega was completely preoccupied by her own worries and the sensations he was causing over her upper torso… that the man had managed to unzip her short jeans and had slowly slipped a slender hand inside her black panties—

All of Vega’s attempts to try and knock him off his sexual ministrations fell at a loss when his digits managed to brush her folds, causing her to throw her head back and emit this guttural groan, filling his head with a thunderous need to strip her bare and take her right there, _right now_.

“Oh darling,” he mumbled in a low tone, the hum in his voice sending a vibration against her exposed breast, causing her body to shake. And of course, she felt her knees weakening with how he brushed his fingers against her slit… and her resolve getting weaker as she felt completely helpless and emotionally vulnerable in front of this man, as he discovered _how soaked her panties were_. After all, she had been crossing and uncrossing her legs all morning, thinking of how he moved against her body the night before… and you have no idea how much her own body heated up the moment he turned up unannounced outside her office door, especially when he bolted the door behind him… with that predatory look on his face.

“All of this,” he said with a look of awe on his face, like a little boy finding out that his crush feels the same way for him. “For me?”

Vega found herself trying to get a better grip on his shoulder, digging her hands in the leather, as she looked away, wondering how much more will her eyes betray her if she dared to look in his… and see him just inches away from her tit, his lips still brushing against her nipple. “Look Tom,” she said in a gruff voice, through gritted teeth. “Let’s not get too excited –“

She wasn’t able to finish her sentence as the man suddenly lurched up his head up towards her face, seductively pressing his wet lips on the side of her mouth, as he disengaged with a soft sigh, whispering, “I am so flattered that you share the same sentiments with me…” Vega watched his expression turn into something soft, sweet, and somewhat grateful; and into something predatory with the way he gritted his teeth and smiled wickedly at her. “ ** _I want you too, my love_**.”

The woman felt her lip quiver upon hearing that… but what he did next caused her entire body to light up on fire.

Dipping his head back towards her other exposed breast, suckling on it in time with how he canted his fingers and thrust them within her folds, making sure that they hit her clit in the process. The way it sent jolts of electricity all over her body was unnerving. Just the memory of how he held his face close to her the night before as his fingers worked within her was enough to melt Vega into a pile of goo. The memory was so intense to a point that she had to turn on a specific Metal playlist hidden in her iPod just to try to shove the memory away. But now, as the man whom she’s trying not to think of is currently lapping at her chest as he repeatedly thrust those long fingers within her in a rhythm that followed the way he flicked a tongue at her nipple – Vega couldn’t help but feel like she was going to self-combust.

 

_Thrust._

“Jesus –“

_Thrust._

“Oh G—“

_Thrust._

“Ungh –“

_Thrust. Suckle._

“T-Tom –“

 

The way he turned his head to look at her, with her mound of sensitive flesh still snug in his mouth, his eyes glinting with a bit of mischief… would have been enough for Vega to come undone with only two of his fingers fitted within her center. But the panic in her eyes seem to say something else, despite her hands gripping him like she was about to fall off, her back flush against the metal wall, after sliding up and down repeatedly with every movement of his fingers slipped beyond her parted panties.

“W-We might get c-caught –“ she stuttered at him, as he felt himself harden within those tight jeans even more, with how she clenched all over his fingers.

The man’s expression didn’t change as he released her breast with a wet smack, causing another wave of arousal to wash through the woman’s being. “Now, now,” he whispered, the way his voice was low and gruff, not helping with how she was still soaking wet around his digits that were thrust within her. “Stop worrying about such things and relax –“

Heaving, Vega took in a deep breath and glared back at him. “You know if we do get caught this will cost me my job…”

The way Tom hushed her by nudging his nose against hers and gently brushing his lips on her chin, almost sent Vega into another trance.

“Relax,” the way he whispered it in a gravelly tone caused her to close her eyes and roll them towards the back of her head. “I’ve got everything covered… After all, it was Steve who told me that the cameras in the Service Elevators are busted, and the new unit isn’t coming in till Monday…”

Grunting as she tried to adjust around the way he curved his fingers within her, Vega found herself gritting her teeth. “Good God, you’ve got everything wrapped around your finger haven’t you –“

“£50 and he gets to bust the cameras,” he said gritting his teeth as well, clenching his jaw – that one expression that caused Vega to tighten even more around his fingers. “No one to hear you scream, love. No one but me –“

Vega let out a strained gasp.

“ _Now scream for me._ ”

 

The woman had to, considering how he dipped his head back and grazed his teeth on her hardened nubs, as he began thrusting faster and deeper within her cunt, causing Vega to throw back her head and cry out in a small staggered voice… almost screaming, mostly whimpering.

It didn’t help at all with how the man started to pant, as she struggled against him – her whimpers sounding in time with the way he breathed, as she began to jerk her hips in the same movement as his fingers… now soaked to his knuckles with her juices… The more he thrust, the more she tiptoed – almost slipping out of her shoes. But with his other hand on her hips, almost slipping down her thighs, supporting her… she felt herself slithering up and down on his digits repeatedly, his fingers hitting depths that have never been reached before –

Licking his lips, Tom pressed his forehead against hers, trying to remember how she strained herself, and how she slowly began to fall apart with just the movement of his fingers. And like the true charmer that he was, he felt like there was no other way of making her break down within his touch than whispering “sweet” nothings in her ear to remind her of his needs…

“The gods only know,” he whispered in her ear. “How much I am about to snap and take you forcefully away with me…”

Vega found herself looking up, turning pale with what he had to say.

“The things I’d do – just so I’d have you,” he whispers in between thrusts. “And have you scream only my name –“

The woman gasped, as he leaned closer – tempted to suckle on those lips once more. But with what he had to say, he knew he had to have his eyes open, and see that precious, priceless expression on her beautiful face.

“Oh the temptation to break you –“

Vega gritted her teeth as she felt her hand release his shoulders… as she slipped it down her towards her bare stomach and lower… as she felt herself gripping his wrist, trying to somewhat gain control of how he mercilessly probed her most delicate features, every thrust sending a vibration within her head, reverberating through her entire body. “But you have already broken me –“ she started.

The man leaned forward, his eyebrows furrowing as he whispered softly, “And yet you have broken me long before I could even try conquering you…”

Vega wished she had come up for air with the way he suddenly tilted his head and smothered her lips with his, wondering how long would the man have to tease her with the girth of his fingers when slowly, by the minute… with every thrust… she’s staring to ache for the feeling of his cock within her that she couldn’t get enough of since the previous night…

Tom gently disengaged, his eyes flitting up gently, glancing at her, seemingly asking for her to reply. But despite the softness of his expression, he was definitely showing no mercy with the gesture he was doing between her legs.

Shaking, Vega found herself being wracked with guilt, knowing she owes this man too much. “I-I’m s-sorry…” she choked, her lips almost chasing his, wanting more.

He huffed, as he began to retract his fingers from between her legs… causing Vega to gently release his wrist – both of her hands dwarfed with the size of it. But much to her surprise, the man released her hip as well, allowing her to stand flat on the floor – _as he suddenly unzipped her short denim pants and let it fall on the floor_.

“There is one way to apologize –“

Vega gasped as his soaked fingers returned to her black underwear, as he pulled on it – _snapping it in two with his bare hands_. Suddenly aware of what he was planning to do, her hands flew over his chest again, attempting to push him away – but upon seeing that hungry look in those deep blue eyes, she was rendered completely still _, knowing that she wanted this too_.

Before she could retort, he moved so quickly, having to unzip himself, as the girl who was rendered motionless with that wave of desire just managed to watch him take out his glorious erection as he positioned it over her entrance, as he slipped both hands underneath her thighs, hauling her up against the elevator wall.

Trying to find her balance with both her legs wrapped around his waist, with her shoes dangling with the way he held her in midair as shock filled her eyes – Vega was aware of what was about to happen, but she was not prepared for it – not here, of all places – in an elevator stuck between two floors.

But gods in heaven…

The way she trembled as she looked into his eyes, the way his lips were parted but his jaws clenched, as he suddenly filled her in with one swift stroke – causing her to cry out his name as she slid up against the elevator wall, her entire body shaking as her drenched cunt was stretched with that massive girth that fit inside her perfectly.

“Isn’t this just right –“ Tom gasped, trying to find his footing as well as he supported her weight on his thighs. “Isn’t this perfect –“

Vega groaned – only to find the man raising his two drenched fingers, gently slipping it in her mouth.

As much as she never found herself so perverted or kinky, she found herself generously lapping up at her juices, as Tom had to grip her hip hard, the way she twirled her tongue around his fingers causing him to throb within her, causing him to clench his jaw.

“And here I wonder why you want to refuse me so much –“ he said with a gasp, before leaning in and devouring her hungry lips as well, with his fingers still in her mouth.

Never has she been fucked this hard, even on _that first night_.

She never found this kind of fucking so seductive – after finding her so-called fiancé boning her so-called cousin up against the shower wall in the same position. But she did somewhat want this, in the recesses of her dirty mind she wanted to be taken like this – and what surprises her was that at those times, _she never thought of Gale at all_.

But as much as Thomas was gentle the first night, _at that moment he wasn’t_.

His love was laced with interjections, sharp thrusts, and heavy breathing. He slammed into her so hard, and didn’t wait for her to breathe, before he pulled out inch by inch, ever so torturously, before slamming back in again. It was as if he was punishing Vega for running away from him – punishing her _in the most delicious way possible_ , where he reminded her repeatedly of what she truly wanted… and how wet she was is the testimony of all of it.

With Vega sinking into a mix of tension and bliss at that moment as her body was dangled in midair, his nails digging underneath her thighs, her cries interjected with how he drove himself repeatedly in her – she wasn’t prepared of what he had to say as he nudged her face upwards, almost biting down her jaw.

“You dare walk out on me after sex again,” Tom growls in her ear. “And I will find you – and remind you of what you truly want –“

For some reason, in the middle of all that pleasure, Vega found her courage.

“Shut up,” she grunted back, closing her eyes in the same rhythm of every thrust he delivered. “You know you want this too –“

It was Tom’s turn to cry out when the woman tilted her head and found her lips wrapped on his earlobe, as she began to suckle.

It was Vega’s secret strategy (as well as all other women’s) – and she knows how much men squirmed when you pull the flesh dangling from their ear into your mouth and began to suckle hard. It was like their waterloo, especially when you run your tongue and graze your teeth against it. And the sounds Tom made were just as wonderful, making her smile in the middle of what she’s doing – knowing that somehow, she does have control over this man who was mercilessly pounding her against the metal wall – even if she does want it _that much as well_.

To her surprise he grunted back, gritting his teeth, as she failed to see the way he furrowed his brows he answered, “I told you. I’ve always wanted just you…”

Vega found herself releasing his lobe from her mouth, as she turned to look at him, her hands on his chest. The way his eyes were squinted, and the way he looked at her – filled with desire and desperation, just drove her to grab him by his collar, as she smothered his lips, the man kissing her back with much ardor as he rutted inside of her, thrusting harder than he ever had.

Disengaging, he suddenly pulled out of her, as Vega looks at him with furrowed eyebrows, confused. He suddenly then turns her around and pushes her hard against the metal wall, holding her around her abdomen as he almost squatted to match her height, as he entered her from behind, causing her to scream out loud.

Rutting in deep and supporting her with a hand around a leg, he then presses her flush against the wall, her hardened nipples pressing against the cold surface – as he began to thrust inside of her again, causing her to rise and slide down – as she completely stood on tiptoes, her blue flats slipping off her feet. Not to mention the underwear snapped in two, dangling on her the edge of her leg.

Pressing his face against her hair, Tom whispered in between thrusts. “Don’t tell me –“

“What –“

“Don’t tell me you didn’t feel it –“ He moaned as he pressed his head against hers, whispering in her ear.

Vega gritted her teeth, her cheek against the cold surface of the elevator wall, trying to ignore Tom’s reflection on it, how _gorgeously sexy_ he looked as he clenched his jaw and bared his teeth with every thrust. “Feel what –“

“That connection we had last night…” he gasped upon a deep thrust. “Don’t tell me you didn’t say those words you thought you never said at the pub…”

It was Vega’s turn to bare her teeth.

“Please,” he begs in between thrusts. “Tell me we can be more than this…”

“Tom –“

To her surprise he pressed himself harder against her, so he can release the hand that supported her weight, as he turned her head towards his, smothering her lips with his mouth. Blind with pleasure, Vega found herself doing the most logical thing her body would do – kiss him back with much ardor. But as she did, she felt herself squint – realizing that there was no way she could deny her feelings now… And why would she? This man was the epitome of pure desire… and the way he fucked her…

Vega felt so limp in his arms upon realizing it.

A small smile appeared on Tom’s lips, still burning with the kiss. “I thought so too, love,” he said, growling, causing the woman to blush, as he continued to press against her on the wall, his cock throbbing within her.

“And here – I was – thinking –“ he huffs in between thrusts, as Vega felt her entire body go numb with how he placed a hand on her hip, releasing his hold around her abdomen as he continued pushing her against that cold wall. “That – you truly loved – Gale… But you are – here – letting me – fuck you – like your _true lover_ –“

A strangled cry escaped her. “T-Tom –“

She felt a shiver run down her spine when he pressed his lips against her ear again, whispering those words that would drive a woman mad: “Let me be yours _exclusively_ , Vega, and you’ll never hurt again.”

The woman swore she felt dizzy hearing all of that, as she clutched helplessly at the wall, almost sinking her fingers against it if she could, as she gritted her teeth, her body shaking with pleasure. But Tom wasn’t finished yet… And the more he spoke, the harder he thrust – having her slide up against the surface she was being fucked on. “But I have always been yours, _even if you never claimed me_ …”

It was too much for her.

His declarations, his ministrations, his cock within her cunt, fucking her like there was no tomorrow –

“TOM, PLEASE –“

He gritted his teeth, hips undulating now as his movements became faster, causing Vega to pant, her hands clawing at the wall as the man tightened his grip on her hips, his cock sinking deeper into her – hitting those places that made her knees wobble with pleasure.

“Is it too much… to ask… for you to give me something… a small little thing?” He whispers, his thrusts slowing down. Vega almost turns around to face him, her face contorted with confusion, wondering what was it that he needed so much and how she can give it to him so he could continue fucking her…

“I don’t – what is –“ she stutters. “Wh-what are you trying t-to say?”

The way he breathed, the way he grunted, and the way he closed his eyes was too much for her to bear – as she tried not to think of how sexy he was and how close she was, when she dared to turn around and see him all fucked up like that, straining his own orgasm, jaws clenched as he drove himself repeatedly in her… as he was seemingly at her mercy, asking for a favor…

“Is it too much… to ask you to… leave the man who broke your heart,” he huffed, in the middle of his thrusts, his face turning red. “And run away with me?”

Vega felt like gasping, but all she could do was turn from pale pink to brick red.

“You’ve got to be kidding me at a time like this –“

Tom gritted his teeth and growled, seemingly impatient. “Stop torturing _me_ , Vega…” he seemed to plead, opening those hazy blue eyes, brimming with tears. “Stop torturing _us_ …”

“Tom,” she gasped, trying to find her center, hands grasping the wall. “Be patient –“

“You’re going to run away again, I know it –“ his voice sounded defeated, desperate.

“T—Tom –“

To her surprise, the man completely lost control as he straightened himself against her again, pulling at her hair as he grabbed her by the neck, almost choking her – as the girl gasped to find that he has leaned down and sank his teeth against the column of her neck, sending a violent shiver through her body – a testament that _a little bit more and she’ll reach her edge_.

Roughly kissing her cheek after he made his mark on her skin, he grunted before whispering, "Darling..." Accentuating it with a very slow thrust of his hips, he continued. "It's so simple…"

The way he whispered it so tenderly caused Vega to gasp, knowing that it was _the calm before the storm_.

She wasn’t prepared with how he breathed in her ear, as he tightened his hold around her neck – not enough to choke her, but to remind her who was in control. This caused Vega to scream out, louder than what she always does – as her body began to overheat with how he pushed her up against the elevator wall, and it didn’t help with the words that escaped the man’s mouth made her bare feet curl –

 

“Just –“ he heaved.

 

_Thrust._

 

“Call –“

 

_Thrust._

 

“It –“ he cried out, with Vega shutting her eyes closed with every movement.

 

_Thrust._

 

“Off –“ he muttered slowly, gasping.

 

_Thrust._

 

“Say –“

 

_Thrust._

 

“Goodbye –“

 

_Thrust._

 

“To Him –“

 

_Thrust._

 

“Darling, please,” he gasped, in between breathing.

 

_Thrust._

 

“I Beg Of –“

 

_Thrust._

 

“You!“

 

Vega’s eyes flew open with his last words as she felt herself bend over, unclenching the way she gritted her teeth as a cry escaped her lips, her nails making marks on the elevator wall as her body spasmed… Tom managed to throb within her as well, his nails digging into her hip, forming moon-crested groves that left pink marks all over her soft skin as he spilled within her… the two sharing an orgasm at a place they both did not expect.

Pressing his body against hers, they both slip down against the wall as they were both almost flat out on the floor, lying on the pile of clothes they stripped off each other… chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath, bodies still shaking from the aftermath of that wonderful climax that shook both of them to the core.

Vega was the first to open her eyes, completely aware of the way Tom buried his face into her hair once more, his fingers absent-mindedly tracing circular patterns over her bare hip… as she kicked her flats away, her knees still wobbly with the way her body shook after their sexual ministrations.

His request still lingering in her mind, with his voice the only thing she could hear… the girl found herself staring up at the ceiling, with the man lying beside her, trying to catch his breath… as she clutched his free hand lying on her bare abdomen, as her lips slowly formed an answer she did not expect –

“ _Okay_ ,” she said with a small resigned voice. “Okay…”


	53. For Better or For Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Due to her indecision, Vega finds herself trapped in a web that has been spun out of control. Can she untangle herself before its too late?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist for this chapter:  
> 1) Sweet Nothing / Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch  
> 2) Slow Like Honey / Fiona Apple  
> 3) Say Something / A Great Big World feat. Christina Aguilera (Best played during the last scene of this fic.)

_Call it off._

_Oh darling, call the entire thing off…_

_Do it for me…_

_Do it for me, love…_

_Tell me you love me…_

_Tell me how much you do…_

_Let me hear it just once, Vega…_

_Tell me that I’m your first –_

 

 

“ _ **VEGA!**_ ”

 

The way she jerked her head to the left looked as if she was waking up from a dream. She turned to look at Maxine who was sitting beside her, looking at her absurdly, her face looking like a question mark. “Veggie-pie,” her bridesmaid said crossly, tapping her fingers on the surface of the table with the white floral placemat. “You’re not paying attention…”

Of course she’s not paying attention.

When there’s a breathy voice playing inside her head, whispering sweet nothings in her ear, turning her legs into jelly – Of course, she’s not going to pay attention at all.

But after all it was her decision to turn up at the Wedding Entourage Rehearsal briefing at the Chateau du Cygne Blanc with everyone involved at the Civil Service, several days after what was believed to be her Hen’s Do. Turning her head around to sleepily face Max, Vega found herself re-confirming what her Honorary Maid of Honor had to say.

“Come again?” Vega asked.

“I said,” Max exclaimed, dressed in her Sunday best, wearing that beige blazer she only wears for interviews and a pencil skirt, much to her chagrin. “I was asking you if I was supposed to be the _first in your_ Entourage or should it be the Maid of Honor, considering that it would be the other way around –“

Vega found herself looking across the table, where her Wedding Planner – the best in the district as they have told her – was currently talking to her absent-minded groom, who was surrounded by her other curious-looking friends who were looking over a catalogue of the services and wedding trinkets provided by the Chateau.

Frowning, the sight of Gale making her feel a bit queasy, she turned to her female roommate and squinted, trying to hide her sour face. “Maybe you can try asking Lillian,” she exclaimed, adjusting the small scarf that was hanging around her neck. “She has the plan for the entourage, she’ll let you know.”

Eyeing the supposed bride-to-be, sitting fidgety and seemingly uninterested in the entire process as well, Max wondered what on earth would have happened that rendered the once-hyper and once utterly excited Vega into an “unresponsive piece of deadweight”.

“Alright, if you say so…” Max exclaimed, side-eyeing the woman as she stood up from her seat. “Also, why on earth are you wearing that blasted scarf on a day like this? It’s so humid…”

Vega found herself glaring at the woman as she subtly patted the side of her neck, muttering, “It’s high fashion, ignore me if you will”… when in fact she ran out of foundation to hide those two dastardly hickeys that turned up at the slope of her neck all of a sudden… one made in her room, and one in the elevator of Way HQ – considering that she may have dumped almost £100 on Steve’s desk just so he can shut up about _it_.

Despite appearing glassy-eyed and exhaustedly uninterested in _anything_ – Vega truly was in hell at that very moment… and the few days before that.

 

She may have said “okay” in the elevator… but saying is easier than doing.

She completely had to hand it to Tom for completely giving her the space she needed during the next five days, as she literally almost shacked up at the Steam Room. She chose a place accessible to all her friends – without having the girls wonder if something is wrong (as she eventually replied to all of their texts on that day after the hen’s do… once she has recovered from the “beating” she received in the elevator), and subtly telling her Best-Man turned… _best-friend with benefits_ that she’s not running away…

Of course, how can you run away after you said “okay”?

How she managed to convince Thomas to leave her alone and give her time to follow through with her “promise” would be considered as a feat for Vega. He managed to leave the building in one piece, not dragging her behind him, not driving her up the wall again, or the like. He may have stolen one or two kisses after helping her dress up, on the way back to the Lobby, but Vega decided to allow him to steal some just so he can leave with his heart intact, smiles all about, and even with a spring in his step. She then knew that it’s a bad idea leaving the man sensitively empty-handed, after all that happened and _seeing what he can accomplish when sexually frustrated and emotionally compromised_ … After all, he was stuck in _that_ loveless limbo for two years now…

But despite saying “okay”, Vega couldn’t help think about the consequences at hand if she did break up with her lying, cheating fiancé. She didn’t even feel like calling him as such anymore, just the thought of his name – _Sebastian Gale_ – was sickening enough to her stomach… The color of his eyes that matched the placemats of the café, the color of his hair that she could see in her coffee… It made her sick.

She even silently resorted to calling him _Sebastian_ again, considering she chose to call him _Gale_ since the name _Sebastian_ brought such bad memories… Considering that _Sebby_ is the name her cheating, lying best friend back home would call him during that time when Vega was in London and her so-called boyfriend decided to cheat on her, leaving Vega broken and in pieces while she was in Cornwall… And _Seb_ was the nickname his ex calls him post-coitus in the broom closet back when Vega wasn’t his girlfriend yet… and she caught them canoodling in the office building that led to Sebastian trailing and getting himself involved with Vega… Eventually having her kiss him and say yes after everything that happened…

Suddenly, the idea of Tom fucking women around in the flat to piss her off seemed tamer.

Sometimes Vega felt like pounding her head against the mahogany surface of the Steam Room café table, wondering why did she even consider having Sebastian Gale as her boyfriend, _even saying yes to his proposal, when it suddenly made sense that maybe Gale only proposed to her in an attempt to get closer to Becca whom he may have been secretly courting the entire time…_

Vega found herself gritting her teeth as she looked over the various texts Max, Mari, Sam, even Alexa sent… interspersed with random texts from the said man she was disgusted with – along with messages from her useless, traitorous cousin –

 

_Vega, I haven’t got a confirmation from you – but we’re up for the Wedding Rehearsal at the Chataeu du Cygne Blanc as Gale has informed me. – Becca_

 

“Sure, he informed you bitch,” Vega found herself saying through gritted teeth as she sat in Orleans during her second day of “mourning”, or whatever she would call it as she kept away from the world in attempt to clear her head. “I bet he informed you while he was between your legs –“

 

_Maxine and I have met up with Lilian and we’re good for Thursday. Text me, cuz! I haven’t heard from you for a while. – Becca_

 

Vega found herself retracting her head away from her phone, slightly offended on why Max was teaming up with the woman who apparently cheated on her “man” (that she didn’t want anymore, but didn’t have the guts to give up), but then she realized that she’s keeping the fact that she knew about the affair, in hopes of pulling it out of her wretched fiancé directly…

But there she was, Thursday morning, wearing a ridiculous scarf around her neck, hiding the other proof that she _probably_ had been in another affair as well, as she watched her female roommate hover beside her two-faced Maid of Honor, discussing and looking over at options for motifs for the reception after the short service.

As much as she was sure that Max would lash out at the woman she was comically exchanging smiles with once she finds out that Becca was actually boning Gale, Vega couldn’t help but notice how unusually edgy and shifty her cousin was the entire time ever since the bride-to-be took her place across the table.

Sometimes, Vega wondered if Becca already knew that she was aware of what was going on.

Sometimes, Vega worried about what her relatives would say if they found out about her treachery…

Sometimes, she wondered what would her godmother – Rebecca’s mother; would say if she found out that her daughter was the reason why she’s not getting married…

Sometimes, Vega wondered if her relatives would ostracize her favorite cousin because of this deed…

Sometimes, she wondered how triumphant she would feel when that happened…

Sometimes, Vega couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to Becca if such vengeance was exacted on her…

Sometimes, she wondered if her cousin would be able to take the pain…

Sometimes, she wondered if this is the reason why she hasn’t even dared to expose the two _lovers_ of their sin yet…

Sometimes, Vega wondered if she really was just a coward…

She was in the middle of her regressive thoughts, such ideas that brought her nowhere, giving her unnecessary fears for her disloyal cousin, when she was snapped out of her preposterous and miserable mind when a rushed-looking man stumbled into the open hall where the group was currently discussing the requirements of the attending Minister.

He was in smart casual as the girls were dressed in their Sunday best; suited in that blue blazer and waistcoat match, making him look taller than he already is. The blue made the gold in his hair shine, as the last of the dye faded out, giving way to the curls and the natural texture that grew out of their roots, slowly drawing him away from that typical ginger or brunette look that he would often be seen in during his Press Junkets and public appearances.

But as he caught his breath and stood behind the bored-looking Scot who was busy eyeing his girlfriend as he ran a hand on his shaven face, Thomas found his eyes shifting across the table – first glaring in the direction of the bored-looking groom… before slowly turning those blazing blue eyes to flare at the bride-to-be sitting right across him.

As much as Vega could try not to look like a frozen deer in headlights with the way she stared at him wide-eyed, she couldn’t help but swallow the lump in her throat as Tom gritted his teeth, causing the muscles on the side of his face to shift as he tore his eyes away from her.

Suddenly, Vega understood why Tom completely stopped texting those cute little messages, asking if she’s okay, asking if she’s feeling well, if she already ate, if she needed company (to which she reassuringly yet firmly said, “No, I’m fine”); accompanied with those little sweet nothings… when Becca declared that she had sent out the invitations for the Wedding Rehearsals.

But for him to turn up at all, was a surprise – considering that Tom is full of surprises.

Still, despite the cold air he was projecting and the fire in his glare that burned her to the core – reminding of his prowess and _his capabilities_ … Vega could only swallow the lump in her throat even more, wishing she could look somewhere else where his glow wouldn’t touch…

But Vega would admit, despite everything – she was glad to see him there.

 

 

 

***

 

 

“As you see here, the staircase would best place for the bride to ascend –“

Lilian was walking on her five inch heels, balancing on her nose those thick-rimmed frames almost similar to what Vega first wore when she first got them, as she walked around the lobby of the Chateau. She had this little button nose turned up as she gestured to the bride-to-be in this collared blue dress, standing in front of the group – who was almost an arm’s length away from her supposed groom, lacking the sweetness and the gaiety she used to display towards him during the days before the Hen’s Do.

But if you took a better look, Vega also shrank away nearer in the middle of Mari and Max, almost cowering under the brunette’s height and the Latina’s curved figure as she hid from the seething glare being emanated from the second tallest man in the group who stood beside the tallest who happened to be the Scot in the Armani suit.

“… She could meet up with the groom at the top of the stairs, and have the rest of the entourage wait at the foot of the stairs or on the lower steps.” The brunette Wedding Planner turned around, her brown eyes meeting the groom’s and the bride’s. “Wouldn’t that be a brilliant idea for an entrance?”

“That sounds wonderful,” Gale just muttered as a matter-of-factly, giving the small brunette beside him a gentle smile.

 _Disgusting_.

Vega found herself looking away as she met with Gale’s green eyes, those eyes that used to bring a flutter in her chest. Now all she could think about is how irked she is with that color – to a point that she loathed how the green lingered in her memory, or how it kept mocking her since it was the same shade of the dress Sam was wearing…

“Now if you would follow me towards the first Balcony where the Minister would take his place –“

The girl in the beautiful collared blue dress looked up as her supposed fiancé went ahead, trailing the olive-skinned Wedding Planner, glancing back at her for a while, to grin absent-mindedly at her. What Gale didn’t realize was that Vega completely saw how his eyes darted towards her cousin standing at the bottom stair just behind Maxine in the beautiful black and red dress, subtly giving her the same kind of smile he just shot his supposed bride… _convincing Vega that this particular smile Gale was giving her would have been intended for Rebecca all along…_

Vega didn’t bother to look back to see how her cousin reacted. It made her feel sick to her stomach, just watching the man she considered to be the one thing that mattered, the one thing she’d sacrifice for, the one man she swore she’d ever look at… to be _looking at another woman like that._

_Disgusting… really disgusting…_

As much as there was a decision pending for that fortnight, something she owed someone; but a decision she painstakingly avoided that eventually led her here – in this painfully awkward situation where she cannot just unleash an outburst in the presence of all her dearest friends, the Wedding Planner, and two cheating brutes who made a fool out of her…

And she was aware that the longer she delayed making that decision, the more she knew that person she gave that promise to would seethe and gnash their teeth in the corner, and even though Vega cherished and bided her time, she knew she couldn’t make them wait for long or else –

She was in the middle of her inner monologue when she was about to enter a function room which the rest of her entourage have occupied, when she felt someone grab her arm and pull her back into the hall, behind a pillar where they could see the extent of the beautiful outdoor garden of the Chateau… but far from the prying eyes of their mutual friends and the rest of the Wedding Entourage.

“What is –“

She has barely even finished her retort when she found herself staring at a fabric with a lighter shade of blue than what she was wearing as a hand flew over her mouth, silencing her as the voices of the entourage faded within the next room. She nervously raised her eyes and met with the same kind of blue she first saw, but with a deeper tone… with galaxies seemingly painted in them as they caught her attention, plunging her into that ice old calculating look that she’d been trying to avoid ever since they arrived at the Chateau.

“I wonder why this entire _fracas_ is still ongoing, Aeoren darling,” Tom was clearly trying to be patient, but he couldn’t hide the sarcasm from his voice.

Vega wanted to bite at his hand, but she knew where that may end up with if she even reminded him how her lips brushed against the inside of his palm, and it didn’t _calm her down at all_.

“I wonder if you have the patience of a saint as I always thought you had, Thain,” she found herself softly shooting back, as she cast her eyes down, not wanting to make the tension rise any further.

“Patience is not really my strongest suit anymore, sweetheart,” Tom whispered as he looked around, no trace of nervousness in his veins, as he bravely and confidently stood there – as if he didn’t care being caught. In fact, with the way he puffed his chest out and angled his jaw as he straightened up, it seems like he did want to be caught – caught holding the bride in a compromising position, with his body half pressed against hers, and her back against the marble stone wall. “Not when I know that my best-friend is going to marry a bastard who has nothing good to give her…”

He then turned to look at Vega, who was still clearly trying to avoid his gaze. Little does he know, the bride who wouldn’t decide, couldn’t stop thinking of how his fucking touch is currently overheating her hyperdrive that she wouldn’t be surprised if he _once again took her there_ knowing that _her cheating fiancé and cousin – not to mention the rest of the Mercenaries – were just in the other room_.

“What can you say for yourself, darling?” The hiss was definitely evident in Tom’s voice, and as much as Vega should feel threatened by his gait and how he glowered over her, it still continued to affect her in a way she did not bargain for.

Bravely raising her eyes, causing Tom to hold his breath, considering he hasn’t seen her for a span of five days, and the first conversation they’d have after all of that was this heated exchange – Vega opened her mouth and said, “All in due time, big brother.”

The way Tom gnashed his teeth and punched the marble wall behind her, possibly leaving a dent that was hard to identify due to the patterns hiding it, giving a deeper tint to the red on his knuckles as he clenched and unclenched them, moving away from the girl who squinted her eyes when he showed that act of aggression.

Swirling back to glare at her, bending over to level his face with hers, his hands twitching as if he wanted to grab her face again and punish her with a fierce snog; he had no idea how Vega held her breath and wished it so as well.

“Fucking Chr –“ Tom clenched his fists hard and shut his eyes closed, pumping them down as they flew past his hips, the gust of air causing the edge of his blazer to brush against his legs as it moved behind him. “Don’t you ever call me that again –“

It was Vega’s turn to clench her jaw, as hearing him asking her to denounce the one title, the base of their relationship, caused her chest to ache. “But that’s... who you are…” Her voice started to falter, pain filling her words. “What else am I supposed to call you then –“

Recognizing her pain, he leaned down and slowly touched her face, causing Vega to twitch a bit – realizing that maybe, she did miss that hand upon her cheek… Sensing her acceptance, a simple body language of taking him in; he pressed his forehead against hers as he breathed her in, just wanting to clear the tension without toning down the intensity of his frustration –

“I don’t –“ He said roughly, his fingers slipping through her locks, keeping her affixed in place, allowing him to burn her with that blue-eyed glare as he repeated his words. “I don’t want to be your brother anymore –“

Vega felt her cheeks twitch in retort, the pain spreading through her chest as she raised a gloved hand to grip at his arm, wanting to shove it off despite lacking the power – considering how he was staring her down, occupying her space, taking in all of her…

“I want to be that man in the elevator,” he hissed, wondering how much more he has to hammer the nail to the block of wood that just won’t take it. “I want to be that man who held you in your room, Vega… I want to be –“

 

 _Ehem_.

 

He had barely untangled his fingers in her curls – those curls that barely pop out, when the two found themselves looking to their left, suddenly realizing that they weren’t alone. However, the moment Vega caught a glimpse of the newcomer, she felt as if all the air in her lungs were knocked out as her eyes widened. The man hovering above her however, slowly straightened up, his blue eyes suddenly turning glassy with contempt upon finding the other man standing a few meters from them, hands in his waistcoat pockets.

“Isn’t that _clandestine_ ,” the sandy-haired man exclaimed, treating everything lightheartedly as if it was some bizarre comedy. “I wonder if the Best Man and the woman I’m about to marry are hiding little secrets from me…”

Tom found himself turning in Vega’s direction, as if to give her a sarcastic “ _Do you still want to marry this man?”_ look, only to be astonished himself with how she tore her eyes from him and crossly folded her arms as she gritted her teeth harder than he did, to a point that the woman was displaying what it was to see someone whose looks could kill. Suddenly, even his anger could not amount to the contempt and fury Vega is hiding behind that little mask of hers as she stood there… waiting.

Ignoring the silence and the grave faces on his Bride and Best Man, Gale stepped forward, pulling his hands out of his pockets, rubbing them together. “I decided to go out since Lillian was looking for you, Vega,” he started. “But apparently, you seem to be with Tom here – I hope I didn’t interrupt something… _important?_ ”

Tom did want to open his mouth, but considering the flare and fury emanating from Vega at that exact moment, he suddenly realized what _she meant by waiting_ when she mentioned it to him earlier.

“It seemed very important,” Gale said with a little laugh that sounded more mocking that it should have. “Very crucial… I wonder,” he said, placing his lips against the back of his thumb. “I wonder if it’s about the wedding… Have you guys got any surprises for me?”

Vega swore she was thankful that she had her arms crossed, or else her hands would be shaking if they were left hanging on either side of her person.

“I hope it’s a song number… Or is it a present?” Gale smiled, ever so disturbingly.

“Is it a present? Are you two planning a wonderful wedding present?”

“Or could it be,” he said as he started to pace on the spot, making Tom wonder how long is he gonna put up with this stupid charade, making him and Vega look ridiculous – as if they were caught making out _when they haven’t done anything_. And to think about it, _Gale’s one to talk…_

“Could it be,” the Australian continued, his accent imminent. “That maybe you’re having a little smooch and tell behind my back?”

That was the time when Tom wrenched his jaw, and the way he moved his shoulders just indicated that he was going in for the kill.

But before he could do anything – he was astonished with how Vega calmly stepped forward towards her contemptuous fiancé, and in one fluid motion – she suddenly brought her hand up, slapping the man square on the cheek, forcefully sending his face to his left.

 “You’re one to talk!” Vega spat at him. “As if you weren’t bedding my cousin!”

Gale managed to readjust his jaw as he turned to glare at Vega, his eyes widening upon hearing what she had to say. At first there was a flash of confusion in his eyes – to which Vega identified right away, causing her to say firmly, and in a voice louder than she has ever delivered – “The nerve of you to fuck her in your hotel room, where _we_ slept.”

The shock in Gale’s eyes and the realization settling in was enough to set Vega’s heart at peace as she clenched her fist harder, ready to deliver another blow just for good measure.

“I _knew_ ,” she spoke through gritted teeth, a smirk starting to play on her lips, as if to answer that raging question in her fiancé’s head.

Gale stared at her, as she wore that haughty look, her hands clenched into fists as she stood in front of him, clearly boasting his secret in front of his face. He wanted her to be furious, he wanted her to be heartbroken, he wanted her to be crying – enough for her to _eventually call off the wedding._ But here she is, with a smirk on her face slowly turning into a smile, boasting how she knew all along and did _nothing_ – as if she was mocking him the entire time –

The sandy-haired man didn’t understand why, but he felt humiliated enough that he wanted to raise a hand and backhand the _proud and arrogant little bitch –_

When all of a sudden, Vega managed to dodge his clenched fist and delivered a gloved punch to his cheekbone the moment he tried to do so.

Gale winced a bit, with his head turned the side once, considering that the woman isn’t that tall – but to deliver a punch instead of a slap… it did pack a bit of power; but despite that, the blow might have been cushioned with Vega’s pearl-colored silk gloves, as her fist effortlessly slid off his face, barely making any damage… except for a reddening spot on his cheek.

And with this, Tom literally dropped his jaw.

He had his lips parted the entire time, watching the woman in action – something he didn’t expect her to do at all. But knowing this is Vega… _and Vega is always full of surprises_.

However, despite how it unfolded, Tom’s first move was to attempt to grab the woman’s arm and pull her back into a safe zone – beside him, but they were suddenly startled with a cluster of feet, with someone pulling Gale back, screaming, “ _Sebastian!_ ”

The commotion has brought about the entire entourage, as Vega was still in the process of rubbing her knuckles, standing in between her aghast best-friend and her subtly disgraced fiancé, who was absent-mindedly rubbing his cheek as he glared down at her. Vega found herself turning her head when Max and Mari suddenly came into view, asking what was going on, only to raise their eyebrows to find Becca fussing over the groom, with the bride flaring with anger as she stood in place – her best man gently tapping her shoulder, subtly asking her to step back.

“What is going on –“

“Guys –“

“What’s wrong –“

However, despite the presence of the other people, Gale found himself gnashing his teeth together, realizing that his ego has been depreciated… and crumpled by a woman who managed to raise her hand at  him after all _those years_. Realizing with how Becca screamed out his name, ignoring how the woman held his chin up, asking him if he’s alright – outright ignoring her triumphant yet infuriated cousin standing in front of them – Gale felt that he was outright humiliated by Vega when she managed to box him on the cheek, and in front of the guests too.

In happened in a flash, almost right after Becca touched him – when Gale stepped forward, gritting his teeth, as he grabbed Vega by the collar, crumpling and bunching the blue material in his fist as he pulled her closer, causing her to tiptoe on her heels as she was launched towards him – as he was thinking whether he should slap her with his free hand or spit in her face –

When all of a sudden, a strong grip suddenly latched onto his wrist holding the smaller girl by the collar, releasing Vega from his treacherous hold…

The woman found herself suddenly being harried backwards, as Tom stepped right in front of the groom, his big hand still wrapped around Gale’s wrist, as if he was about to break it.

“You wouldn’t fucking dare try –“ Tom spat at the sandy-haired Australian. “If you fucking do, you would have to go through me.”

Gasps were heard around the open corridor, as Gale found himself smirking as he wrenched his wrist free from the six footer’s grip, causing Tom to back off. Trying to maintain his dignity, the groom pulled on his waistcoat, straightening his clothes, brushing off dirt, as if he was trying to look clean, look tall, and look decent after everything that happened.

“Go through you?” he hissed at the towering British man. “ _You_? You consider yourself her protector?”

Gale should have looked around, but the girls who were _clearly on Vega’s side_ already had their arms crossed, and were rolling their eyes at the groom’s statements – _because he completely has no idea how Tom would be Vega’s knight in shining armor complete with the appropriate jousting weaponry if she asked him to_. Sebastian Gale Hareton knows _nothing_. And yet he stands there, proud and puffed-up, as if he was always correct.

“You’re just a decorated tree,” he spat at the six-footer who was starting to turn red in the face. Where Gale found the courage to prod his thin finger against Thomas, they had no idea. “You’re just a flashy star she probably found somewhere and declared her Best Man –“ he gritted.

“But that’s all you are – Just a title – “ Gale sneered. “And she’ll never choose _someone_ like _you_ –“

The man wasn’t able to finish the sentence since Tom wasn’t able to hold back that punch he had been saving ever since he held Vega in his arms that night when she broke down upon finding out that the one man she trusted would be the man who would betray her. Contrary to the punch Vega delivered, Tom for one wasn’t wearing a glove (and as the man is fond of leather ones, we know how much that would cause more damage) – but his knuckles did more than graze the smaller man’s cheeks as Gale staggered backwards and fell on the floor, as he closed his eyes, head spinning.

Vega found herself covering her mouth with the turn of events.

“Holy sh –“ Max cried out. Turning to the redhead who clung on her arm, as the girls gasped with the commotion, the Latina found herself making a feeble smile. “Should I start singing ‘It’s Raining Men’ now –“ Max wasn’t able to finish the sentence as Mari beside her slammed her exposed arm with her purse.

Completely hiding the triumph in his face, or the relief of having done that after _wishing it_ , Tom turned around, jaw unclenched as he faced the supposed bride in blue, standing there – covering the way she has unhinged her jaws. Narrowing his eyes and furrowing his brow, he stepped towards Vega, completely ignoring how Becca ran to her man, trying to shake him awake. He also brushed Fred away who quickly ran to his side after the entire scuffle. His first action was to approach his _beloved_ best-friend, itching to ask a question that had been badgering him the moment the entire commotion started.

“ _Sebastian?_ ”

Vega blinked, wondering why Tom was directing the question at her – and not at the man who was currently knocked out on the floor.

“ _His name is Sebastian?_ ”

Still recovering from the shock, Vega released her mouth with her hands and folded them, blinking twice at the question. “Well – He has always been a _Sebastian –_ “

“Is this the same bastard who made you cry in Cornwall?!” Tom’s tone was harsh now, as he gestured casually at the man on the floor, asking the bride-to-be looking flushed in front of him.

Vega looked up at him, those blue eyes now filled with more confusion and pain, more than fury, and said, “Well, yes –“

To her surprise, Tom gritted his teeth and clenched his fists again as he turned to look at the man whom he just socked in the face a moment ago. But then, a realization settled in as he turned to the woman standing in front of him, completely at a loss too… as a painful truth just dawned on his head, causing him to feel as dizzy as Gale would have been if he was conscious –

“Tom –“

To everyone’s shock, it was Tom’s turn to brush Vega off his sleeve as she tried to reach out for him. “ _I’m going for a walk,_ ” he fiercly muttered through gritted teeth as he cast his eyes forward, refusing to look at the supposed-bride to be, or his best-friend who had been asking for him to calm down, get a drink, and sit down.

And with that, he headed for the Chateau’s grand staircase and left the group all staring at him – as they watched him leave.

At a loss with the sudden turn of events, Vega found herself staring at a confused-looking Fred, and her shocked looking sisters, as Becca clearly avoided her gaze the entire time, trying to haul Gale all on her own inside an unoccupied space, considering that the man just came to his senses… cursing under his breath…

Trying to get a grip of the situation, Vega found herself evading the sudden flurry of questions that was flung her way as she politely muttered “Excuse me” at the exhausted-looking Wedding Planner who couldn’t do anything but watch from the sidelines, as she ran for the stairs in those high heels.

 

 

 

***

 

 

As much as her friends would often notice and silently praise how the flats-loving Vega has finally gotten around to wearing and strutting in heels, she would still admit how running in them feels horrible… especially at that moment when she found herself sprinting around the rooms of the Chateau du Cygne Blanc, looking for that one person she wanted to clear things with…

And within a span of fifteen minutes, she would have sworn that she has memorized the halls and the rooms of the location even if she didn’t even bother looking through the brochure and the map enclosed with it, especially during those last few days when she was being too worried over the wedding that wasn’t going to happen at all…

But what she didn’t expect at all… was to find the person she was desperately searching for standing, with his hands in his pockets, in the middle of this beautiful outdoor garden.

She didn’t expect the slight drizzle that fell without warning either, slowly soaking their clothes… turning the blues into a shade darker.

“Hey…”

The expression that came from his face as he slowly turned around to follow the sound of her voice was something she wasn’t expecting either. He looked at her with so much pain in those blue eyes, that he found himself wincing and turning away from her once more – _as if he didn’t want to see her._

And for some reason, this suddenly drained the energy from her body, and all that running and searching and opening doors and peeking through windows suddenly made her feel so exhausted…

“Tom…”

You could hear him cluck his tongue, upon hearing his name rolling off hers. What Vega believes was that maybe Thomas was at the end of his wits, and he just had to run away from the scene – where he literally lost his temper and punched his best-friend’s fiancé, the man he swore to play the Best Man for…

But when he clenched his hands, turning around to look at her again, still standing in her place, raindrops decorating her permed black hair, Vega found what could have been tears in those blue eyes.

“Now this isn’t fair,” he started, his voice slightly breaking, as he faced her this time, casting his eyes somewhere else. “This just isn’t fair…”

Clenching and unclenching her hands, Vega let out a small gasp, realizing that she had been holding her breath. Blinking, realizing that she somewhat gave it away how worried she was, she opened her mouth and said the first thing that came to her mind… “Tom, talk to me…”

“ _This_ ,” he gestured to himself and then to her. “This just isn’t fair –“ He held his breath and bit his lip, clearly unsure of what to say or how to say it. “You walking in like this, and then it starts to rain…”

Vega had to open her eyes, furrowing her eyebrows, realizing how confused he was making her.

However, upon seeing the man’s face, the look of genuine distress, the emotion of pain spreading through his features… She suddenly found herself wondering if he was trying to make a point…

Sighing, Vega unfolded her hands and let them fall to her sides as she eased the tension on her shoulders and whispered. “I’m sorry –“

“This,” Tom continued, placing his hands on his waist, huffing to himself. “Just solidifies the fact that whenever it rains – it reminds me of you… Reminds me of _us_ …”

The way he blinked, the way he tore his eyes away from her, and the way he seemed to be resigned about that entire fact was enough for Vega to feel even sour inside…  despite the idea being that cheesy if said on a normal day. But of course it will end up cheesy. After all, _this is Tom whom we are talking about_.

“And yet,” he sneered. “There is no _us_ to even talk about…”

Shaking her head and shuffling uncomfortably, Vega tried to shake off the topic. “Come on,” she said, wincing, wondering if she can possibly salvage the situation, despite the fact that he was being emotionally mushy once more, despite walking out on her upon the discovery that she got engaged to the boyfriend she broke up with two years ago. “It always rains,” she reasoned out. “It even rained five times this week! It might have just been a coincidence that we’re together –“

But what he said next caused her own reasoning to melt down the drain with the rain.

 

“That first time when you broke your contacts in the Gazebo…” He suddenly whispered.

“The night we watched _Prometheus…_ ”

“The night when we watched Star Wars in my flat…”

“That night at the _Eureka Skydeck_ …”

 

Vega’s eyes widened as Tom found himself biting his lip, as slowly he began to recite _specific_ moments in time when they were together… Making Vega realize that every single event mentioned often required her to carry an umbrella, or be drenched from head to toe… and what he said was true, since most of those times _she was with him._ She looked up to find her best-friend miserably trying to avoid her gaze now.

“And more recently, that night you went home at the flat in that blue dress…” he found himself sighing, as he looked up to find Vega shrinking away, completely discomforted by the way the droplets were slowly becoming bigger at the moment… and ironically, with the words he just dropped. “Would you still say that it’s coincidence? It’s most likely it, or the fact it always rains… But it seems as if the heavens are trying to say something...” He raised those blue eyes, somewhat filled with hope – only for his words to crush it again. “Or the gods are just playing tricks on the two of us…”

Vega hates this. She hates this whenever Tom gets too cryptic.

Yet he’s always this way…

Being poetic in every way…

A complete foil to how straightforward and blunt she could be.

“I don’t see –“

Chewing on his lip again as he raised a hand, trying to make a firm gesture. “Will you just wait— I do have a point Vega…” he said almost impatiently, a completely different vision to his often calm and collected self. “I am getting there.”

Widening her eyes and letting out an exasperated sigh as she looked up worriedly at the rain, the woman gestured to him, urging him to go on.

Taking a deep breath, the man dared to lift his eyes again as he gazed at her, painfully observing how beautiful she was in that short sleeved dress, how her gloves complimented it and the pearl earrings hanging from her lobes, and that curious short scarf that was now loosened around her neck – Everything about her was just painful to Tom.

“Everything,” he whispered. “Everything I have mentioned… Everything that happened between us…” The voice he started to project did not belong to that confident actor who can command an entire room of a thousand people with a single sentence. It belonged to a child, a broken man… someone who talked as if everything was taken away from him. “ _Does it even matter to you?_ ”

The fact that he literally dragged her through memory lane, was enough damage Tom could do – and yet Vega tried to hide how much it affected her. But she managed to look up at him, wince and whisper, “Yes, it does!”

The man didn’t seem to be convinced.

“Do _I_ matter to you?”

He looked exhausted, yet desperate and lost. The way the rain fell slowly in growing drops, slowly drenching his honey-gold hair that made him even more beautiful under the dim skies, and the way he strained his face, trying to hold back either his tears or his anger didn’t help with how fucked up Vega was feeling at the moment.

But hearing him ask her if he even mattered to her was enough for her to somewhat answer back. “Come on Tom, how can you ask that of me –“

He straightened up, clearly looking threatened now.

“The nights I have given you, the comfort I have provided,” he blinked, tears now mingling with the rain water in the rain as his hand flew to his chest. “ _The love I gave you – is it even enough?!_ ”

Vega found herself unclenching her jaw as she parted her lips in shocked reply.

“Am _I_ even _enough_?!”

The woman found herself trapped in silence as she stared up at him, the man whom she always considered to be her best-friend – at least what she had been telling herself for the past two years. That’s all he is, just her best-friend – but as the years slowly passed her by, there was more to that, layers slowly being added, till that _night_ happened and she cannot deny those strong feelings hidden underneath those layers. It was that severe that the title “best-friend” is now an understatement, and if it would have been held and said to the man how he only stood as her” best mate”, it would unleash and break a dam of withheld anger and feelings that have accumulated over the past two years.

But still, amidst all her thoughts, how she was trying to find the words to say, how she wanted to calm him down, how she just wanted to go back to what they were, when they were happy together plotting pranks and matchmaking their friends, how they laughed at every aspect of the world, and how this kind of harmony set her heart at peace…

Vega slowly didn’t realize that it was her fear of how grand his feelings are and how she is so scared that her feelings may amount to the same thing – something she can’t handle, or something she felt she doesn’t amount to or even _deserve_ – that kept her… _silent_.

Amidst her silence, Tom found himself squinting in pain – as if he feared this moment: Vega’s incapability to answer his questions, or to acknowledge her own feelings on her own volition – without her being under the influence of alcohol or sex.

“I thought so…” He whispered bitterly. “I guess I wasn’t enough for you that you had to go to the man who whips you, beats you, even fucks another in your stead and call him your husband –“

Vega never found herself scoffing so loudly in her entire life

“Is this what it’s all about?” The woman in blue suddenly burst out, as she folded her arms again, hiding her clenched fists, trying to contain her anger. “Is this all about Sebastian –“

To her surprise, a sarcastic laugh suddenly escaped the man standing in front of her.

“And now you have stopped calling him Gale –“ he scoffed. “Sometimes I wonder if you were just hiding the fact that your fiancé was that bastard who made you cry on our first trip to the beach –“

“I stopped calling him _Seb_ because that is the fucking name my treacherous best-friend from Melbourne was moaning when I saw that leaked video of him having sex with her when I was fucking having the time of my life here in London, before I had to fucking run back home because of my father,” she said through gritted teeth. “Before we got married, before we _even_ got back together – we laid everything on the table,” Vega exclaimed as she threw her hand in front of her, gesturing. “And I stopped calling him Gale so that we can start with a clean slate…”

She sneered, hating that story. “But I guess it doesn’t matter now because that clean slate isn’t so clean at all when he’s fucking in love with someone else…”

As much as she would have cried while talking about this a few days ago, Vega realized that she was slowly running out of tears for Sebastian Gale… She was running out of tears for anything. And the sarcastically painful look Tom was giving her would have been enough for her to just – give up on crying completely, as this conversation was slowly making her heart feel hollow.

“Look,” she said, trying to shake the tension in the atmosphere and get to the bottom of Tom’s frustration. “I went back to Gale because of reasons – reasons that I now regret –“

“Pray tell,” Tom whispered, his voice shaky. “Do these reasons have to do with why you couldn’t turn up at the Melbourne Airport? Could it have something to do with me? Have I done something so drastic that I literally drove you back into the arms of the man you broke up with –“

“Tom –“

“There is only one thing a man could think when a woman backs out on a promise and runs straight back into the arms of her abusive lover!” His voice suddenly rose, as anger completely consumed the conversation. “Did you even think about it, Vega? Did you even think about everything I said at the Skydeck? Did you even think of me…?”

Vega found herself gritting her teeth as she avoided those blue eyes, burning with passionate anger.

“And here I thought that what you said after the Pub that _night_ … a few nights ago…” It was turn to fold his arms and look away, turning his body away from hers. “And that night –“ The way he said it was too painful to listen to, as Vega dared to look at him – his eyes shut, tears camouflaged by the falling rain. Unable to stand it, the woman just ended up running a hand through her destroyed perm, pushing the wet fringes off her face. “Sometimes it makes me wonder if you only used me for that one night of comfort when your _perfect_ boyfriend couldn’t cater to your needs –“

“Please,” she found herself muttering, sarcastically. She wasn’t surprised with her sudden retort anymore, considering that it wasn’t a time to be aghast or reserved considering the revelations that were being thrown on the table. “One night of comfort? You call _that comfort_? Just that –” She scoffed at him, a mocking laugh escaping her lungs. “How can that be _just ‘comfort for one night’_ when I let you _fuck me against the wall_ the next day –“

“Is that all _there is to it_?” Tom roared back at her, as he made wide gestures such as flinging his arm in her direction, with her safe distance keeping her away from it. “Am I just your sexual comfort, Vega? Am I your go-to fuck pillow when you realize that the man you loved will never love you? Because that makes you no different from the women who flock over to me after hours, asking for me to love them for one night!”

Vega swore she saw red at that moment.

“Are you saying that I’m no different from those women you fucked –“

“No,” he says softly, casting his eyes on the wet cemented ground. There was disdain in his voice, a bit of bitterness, and a whole lot of restrained passion that he was hiding with the way he curled his lips, stopping it from quivering in front of her. “Not at all… I don’t want to believe so…” He lifts his eyes, now red-shot. “You are more than that to me, Vega. More than that… **_You’re everything_.** ”

The woman felt like backing away, despite the way he delivered those words were so soft and so gentle – the impact, the message it carries, its intensity and how it affected her was too great. And it didn’t help at all how the man slowly stalked towards her, his gait, his movements, his presence… was enough to dwarf her.

“I have put you on a pedestal, Vega,” he whispered bitterly. “A pedestal so high that at this point, _you managed to ruin other women for me_ … Especially that night… _That night_ …” He bit his lip and shook his head. “I am a wreck, Vega. Will you look at me?! _Look at me!!!_ ” He started raising his voice, trying to get her to glance at him, when in all honesty – Vega was slowly drowning… in his words, his voice, and the truth that was now too big to hide or deny.

“I am broken – How can I even be complete _when all I could see, hear, or feel – is you?!!_ ”

The rain may be starting to blur her eyes, but her best-friend’s frustration and his own searing presence was enough _to make the entire situation crystal clear as if it was morning and the sun was out_.

She can still make out the pain in his voice, the distress in his words, the pang in his sentences, the despair in his paragraphs… that she knew her own punctuations and enunciations wouldn’t be enough to heal that. But despite what she has heard – how his words seem to say that _she has permanently broken him_ , that she is the root of his loneliness, of his pain, of his misery – was enough to send Vega into a spiral of disappointment and disheartenment that it began to show on her face.

Misinterpreting her expressions and not confirming it with her own words, Tom believed that Vega must have been disgusted of how he acted out of line – and may even be turned off with his words of how she completely rendered him powerless by blaming her of how he feels towards her… Backing off, he whispers “I’m sorry”, as his hands fly to his face… wiping away the tears.

Little does he know about what Vega truly felt, and that she felt offended… She was so offended that he believed that she saw everything that happened between them, the physical interactions between them during the past two days – as nothing more but _comfort sex_.

“Tom, please,” she suddenly found herself speaking out, unfolding her arms and reaching out to him. “Can you just listen to me –“

“Everything,” he continued, completely drowning in his own pain, unable to hear the woman anymore. “Everything that happened between us… the night after the Hen’s Do… the elevator…” He gritted his teeth. “Even at the Eureka Tower – _does it even matter anymore? Is it even real, Vega? Is it?!_ ”

Vega felt like she was reasoning against a six-foot-two wall, as she covered her face with her small hands.

“Or were you so conflicted that night I took you out to the Skydeck’s _The Edge_ that you couldn’t wait for me to get on a plane so that you could get back to your ex-boyfriend –“

“That was two years ago!” Vega found her voice rising this time around as she threw her hands down. “That was two _fucking_ years ago, Thomas!”

“And it had to take two years for me to _realize this_ –“ he gestured around him, his tears flowing steady now as the power of his voice now rose against the steady pour of rain. “ _All this_. I feel like I’m nothing but chopped liver, Vega. An extra. A chapter in your book that insists to be _something more than a special feature.”_

The way he said it made her stomach turn, causing her eyes to burn with tears, luckily hidden by the raindrops as well.

 _“_ Oh, how I wish you just told me from the get-go that you had no intentions, that you didn’t love me at all, and at least it wouldn’t end like this –“

The woman standing in front of him closed her eyes, sort of admitting defeat as tears began to flow down her eyes as well… realizing that she probably did nothing right for the past two years. She was nothing but confused, Vega would admit that. She hated making decisions, she hated leaving things on the backburner, and she hated _trying out things she wasn’t sure of_. Such as the uncertainty of things – and the uncertainty that was _Tom_. But as much as she refused to peer inside her heart, to understand what she really needs, the answers have always been there – the one thing she refused to see –

And he had the guts to ask her the question that matched that answer.

“I’ll say it again,” his voice is losing power now, indicating his own loss of resolve. “You said – Y-you said…” Even his voice started to break. “You said you loved me after Almarion,” he whispered. “Does it still hold any truth to it? Does it _even matter anymore? Does it?!_ ”

This time she could admit that she’s blinded by her own tears and the rain. She found herself clutching the loosening scarf around her neck as she stopped herself from sobbing, but she swore she couldn’t look at the rain-drenched man or how wild he looked at that exact moment, being clad in that blue suit and all. She had no power to – nor has she the power to speak the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

 _Yes_.

She barely opened her mouth when she felt strong hands grip her shoulders, almost shaking her as she heard his voice loud and clear –

“ _VEGA PLEASE!”_

_“SAY SOMETHING!”_

_“ANYTHING!”_

_“PLEASE STOP MAKING ME LOOK LIKE A FOOL! WILL YOU GIVE ME AN ANSWER JUST FOR ONCE –“_

The way she shivered probably caused him to stop in mid-sentence as the girl managed to unlatch one of his hands from her arm with her feeble hands as she pushed him away, still shaking from how he suddenly used aggression and handled her in such a way that shook her to the core…

Tom found himself looking at his hands, shocked with what just happened – completely unaware of how he lost control of himself. He then slowly lifted his eyes, drowning with guilt as he looked at her, shivering like a cornered rabbit in the pouring rain, as she refused to look at him… cowering away.

“I – I’m sorry,” he croaked out, his own voice faltering, with his eyes as wide as saucers, realizing what he just did. “I didn’t want to do that – I –“

He tried to reach out to her only to have her swat his hand away, as her mind raced with her thoughts of fear, of how he managed to become so violent, and somewhere in her brain she kept on berating herself on how she’s the only one to blame to drive someone as patient and kind as Thomas to this kind of behavior…

“Y-You’re scaring me…” that was the voice that escaped her lips, causing the man to furrow his eyes and back away even more.

Tom folded his arms and took another step away from the woman, scared of whatever damage he could further make. “I—“ he stuttered, as if he was folding into himself, shrinking, wanting to disappear… unable to believe that he used force on the one woman he loved. “I’m scaring myself too…” he whispered, sounding like a lost little boy.

Vega looked up through her tears and saw him, almost like a hollow shell of what he used to be… And what blindly hurts her the most is how he refused to look at her, as if he was afraid of how she was going to react, and how she was going to take it… when Vega could admit that he did give her quite a good scare with how he raised his voice so threateningly, and how his eyes dilated when he held her, shaking every fibre of her being.

“I’m –“ he continued, daring to peer at her and finding a bit of comfort with how lost and confused she looked. “I’m scared of what I’m turning into…”

Holding herself in the same manner he was, Vega folded her hands and clutched at her elbows, as if she was hugging herself. Little did she know that Tom did the same, holding himself in the same way, since he was stopping himself from running towards her and holding her in his arms… in fear that he’d cause more damage and drive her away…

She just stood there, trying not to look at him as she tried hard to calm herself down, try to take over the situation and possibly try to convince Tom that it’s okay, it’s going to be okay, and he doesn’t need to be violent… or afraid…

But that was when she looked up to find him slowly moving towards her…

Every step seemingly filled with pain…

As if he was stepping on eggshells…

Or even glass…

As after that painful minute, she found him standing close to her again.

Unfolding his hands, he felt his heart leap with anticipation and his stomach flutter with anxiety as she bravely stood her ground, making him wonder if she’s still shaken or even angry with his sudden forceful actions that occurred earlier. The woman lifted up her chin, seemingly defiant, as she stared blankly back into his blue eyes, as if she was telling him to do his worst. And with that… he slowly raised his hands… and gently cupped her chin…

“I-I’m going to ask you for the last time, and I’ll never ask again,” he whispered, voice faltering. “I j-just want to know… if there’s even a tinge of love in that heart for me, Vega…” With the way he said it, it seemed as if saying her name has started to become so painful…

The woman parted her lips, half thankful that the man’s hands were shielding half of her face from the rain, causing her to blink twice as she looked up at his pained face. She didn’t know how much he was affected by the way she winced when his fingers touched her face, making him wonder if he did too much, if she was starting to despise how he touched her, and if she was swearing never to let him touch her… or ever be close to her again… And this broke his heart…

Little does he know, how Vega was trying so hard to shake away the fear, the fear that maybe she’s pushing him away, the fear of having to make a decision, as she gathered what’s left of her wits as she was trying so hard, straining so bad… for those stubborn lips of hers to just follow her heart and just whisper…

 _I do love you_ …

…and end this two year war.

But before she can do anything, before she can even conquer her fear, it was just too late for Tom, who was slowly beginning to crumble under his own pressure, his own fear that Vega is never going to give him that answer out of her own volition, as he squinted, shut his eyes, and looked away… as he gently released her face… his hands shaking…

“I c-cant…” He whispered, broken but loud enough for the girl to hear against the pitter-patter of the rain. “I c-can’t keep waiting for you to say it…”

The woman furrowed her eyebrows and unhinged her jaw at his reply.

“I can’t keep waiting for you anymore, Vega…” he said, sobbing now. “I can’t…”

For a moment, she imagined that he tried to touch her cheeks again – his hands shaking. But then she blinked as saw Tom shaking his head as he stepped back away from her, covering his eyes as he quickly turned around and walked away… his shoes making those sad-sounding wet footsteps as he exited the glade, making his way back into the Chateau.

That was when the cold hit her.

A shiver covered Vega from head to toe as the wind blew, making her look around the garden, that was alive with the sound of the pitter-patter of the rain… and it contained no one else but her.

And that was when she felt truly alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Calvin Harris’s “Sweet Nothing” featuring Florence Welch and Lana Del Rey’s “Summertime Sadness” got me writing again. Praise them.


	54. Raincheck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A former bride-to-be picks up the pieces from a disastrous Wedding Rehearsal aftermath, and officially calls off that horrid event. Can she convince her best-friend to come back to her though?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame [Kuon](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuon/pseuds/Kuon) for giving me " _The Hardest Thing_ " by 98 Degrees that basically fueled this entire chapter. Such a bad girl, you.
> 
> Oh and... I think you may need tissues for this one... because I couldn't stop crying while writing this.

She was ice.

She was fire.

At least on that day she strode in Café Zula in the lobby of Sebastian Gale’s Hotel in that perpetually white trenchcoat, black jeans and a black halter underneath, looking as if she was going to battle instead of a meeting over coffee.

And to top it all off, she actually was flanked by two escorts, a stern looking beautiful woman with long brown hair tied up in a ponytail, matching her dark brown sundress, and an angry-looking Latina who looked as if she would burn a skyscraper down to the ground if she was allowed to.

But they barely even stepped foot through the door of the café, when the woman in the white trench turned around and calmly addressed them, to which the beautiful tall model-like brunette just nodded, and the Latina just scoffed before crossing her arms and nodding profusely, just to pacify the smaller girl in the white coat.

Vega strode through the door and approached a nervous looking couple, sitting at a far table. The man was wearing a brown turtleneck and was trying to hide the bruise on his cheeks as he leaned on his hand with his elbow perched on the table; as a woman with the hair the same shade of black as the woman who was stalking towards them comforted him as she sat beside him, stroking his arm.

“Vega –“

“I would like to speak to Sebastian alone,” Vega said calmly yet coldly, causing Rebecca to shrink away and unlatch her hand from the man’s arm. “If you please.”

With one nod from the man, Rebecca nervously got up her feet as she avoided her cousin’s eyes, as she moved out towards another unoccupied table, with her cousin not even bothering to look in her direction. Once she was gone, Vega took her seat in front of her so-called fiancé, as she crossed her legs under the table and placed her hands together on the surface.

“You didn’t have to be so mean to her –“ Sebastian Gale started.

“Well,” Vega shot back, her anger sharpening her wit three times over. “If she didn’t fuck my boyfriend, then I don’t have a reason to be mean to her right now –“ Gritting her teeth and ignoring the guilty look on Gale’s face, Vega continued, “And I have all the right to be mean… to both of you.”

Gale just scoffed.

“What can you say for yourself,” she sneered. “Sebastian Gale?”

The man shot his green eyes at her and straightened up, crossing his arms. He seemed to be assessing the woman sitting in front of him, looking at her from head to toe. But Vega had nothing to hide at all, in fact she was there to uncover things – _and end them_.

“Don’t be too confident, Vega,” he said plainly. “It’s as if you’re not doing the same thing…”

To his surprise, the woman just looked at him without batting an eyelash, before leaning her head on an open hand. “If you can prove it,” she scoffed bravely, those dark eyes glaring at him the entire time. “Then I’d take the sin. If you can’t – then just _shut the fuck up._ ”

Gale just shrunk in his seat and frowned.

She looked at him, sitting there in his brown turtleneck and slacks, looking like a hunched over-grown child who just got chastised by his mother. Tilting her head and glancing at Gale longer than she ever dared to, Vega slowly saw him in a different light compared to the rose-colored glasses she always wore – she saw him as an overconfident and lanky man, who had nothing to prove, and all of a sudden – all of his talks of love, all of his doting whispers to her when she was still back in Melbourne and the short time they were in London while they talked about the wedding… they were all flushed down the drain.

By that time, Vega was convinced that Sebastian Gale wasn’t really for her… for the 2nd time. But this time, it was _her_ making that decision – not forced by anyone else, or by the man himself.

“Look,” she started, rubbing her hands together. “Things have been done, and things have been said. We both know we couldn’t take any of that back. The wounds may still be fresh considering it just happened yesterday –“ Vega knew she had to pause and frown when Gale scoffed and rubbed his bruised cheek. “—but we need to properly call off this entire _agreement_ we…” She curled her lip. “…had between us.”

To her surprised, a mocking snort escaped her ex-fiancé’s lips.

“You called the wedding off the moment you socked my face, missy,” he petulantly said, scorn in his voice. Vega couldn’t help but roll her eyes the moment she heard the sarcasm in his voice.

“Well, I wouldn’t have socked your face if you weren’t such a fucking asshole for making this entire _relationship_ look like a fraud –“

“Well you could have taken a hint –“

“Take a hint?” Vega laughed sarcastically. “I was busy planning our wedding and you expect me to take a hint –“

“Well you’re the one who was so _in love_ and wanting to get married,” he muttered under his breath. “I had to shut up because Becca here didn’t want to break your heart at all, and she wasn’t so sure if she wanted to continue on with the relationship with me –“ He frowned, true pain suddenly reflecting in his eyes. “Even if she knows that’s going to hurt me more…”

Crossing her arms, not wanting to hear any more of this _stupid love story_ that made her sick to the stomach, Vega suddenly couldn’t help but say, “I at least have the right to know when this started, Sebastian.”

The man winced for a while, his eyes flitting over the table where the woman in the wrap-around skirt and the blue blouse was pretending to read from her phone, when in fact she was there shaking and anxious the entire time.

Taking a deep sigh, the man opened his mouth and said, “The day you disappeared without a notice and I find out you flew for London two years ago – I found myself talking to Rebecca again. Not to mention the drunken kiss we shared a year before that –“

Vega found herself making a face, clearly looking done about the entire thing. “Why the fuck don’t I know about any of this –“

“Let me finish –“

“What am I, chopped liver?”

Vega felt like choking on her own words, as she suddenly remembered the same line being dropped in the same similar manner – _but not by her_. Just remembering how it was said and _who_ said it, just made her lungs burn – as if she didn’t want to remember.

“Now if you only let me finish,” Gale said through gritted teeth. “And let’s make things straight to the point since you don’t seem to want to listen to me. I have always loved Becca – at the same time when I loved you and you didn’t seem to be sure of me.”

The woman who was supposed to be his bride curled her lip, wishing she was somewhere else rather than listen to this man. She was sick of this, she was still hurting, and she’d rather be in bed rotting in her problems than being in front of Sebastian Gale. But as of that moment, she knew things had to be laid out and neatly fixed, and she didn’t want anything thrown under the table or anything of the like, so here she was – supposedly planning to have the last word.

“And she was there for me when you weren’t – when you ran away to London. But then she felt like this was all wrong and she ran away from me – and you were the only way I knew I could get her back.” He fiddled with his fingers nervously. “And then I was so confused, and I got so drunk – and next thing I knew I was kissing Chrissy and I found myself having an affair with her…” He sighed. “In the process I lost you, and I didn’t even get Becca back.”

Vega frowned. “Is this why you decided to start over with a ‘clean slate’ with me and even had the guts to propose to me?” She hissed. “Is this some sort of some fucked up grand plot –“

“It was the only way to wake her up, alright?!” Gale burst out. “She wouldn’t listen! She hid from me! If I anger her by coming back to you and possibly getting tabs on her by being with you – maybe I’d get her back… God knows what I’d be if she didn’t come back to me –“

“So everything,” the woman in front of him, exclaimed, clenching her fist again, wincing as she felt wounds being reopened. “Everything – your words, your promises, your _proposal –_ it’s all a lie?!”

“I never knew I wanted Becca till you were gone,” he said, wincing as if he didn’t want to talk about it. “I never knew I wanted Becca at all… till you left. But I realized…” He bit his lip. “I realized I loved her ever since she was still with Geoff… I just… I just didn’t want _that_ to get in the way of _us_ …”

This information made Vega’s blood boil – but she swore the moment she saw Gale being cradled by her stupid cousin, she was over him. Even more so when Gale called her male best-friend names… but right now wasn’t the best time at all for her to think about her best-friend. She didn’t even want to remember him at that moment since just the mere memory of him weakened her resolve for anything…

“I loved you,” Vega spat through gritted teeth, the words forming a bitter taste in her mouth, realizing it held no meaning for her anymore – saying it to the mindless, useless douche in front of her. “I gave you my life, I reserved for you my dreams, and I planned with you my future –“

Gale looked up at her, looking more annoyed than guilty – as if he never wanted any of those.

“And what did you do?! Throw them away?!”

Vega found herself rising to her full height, screaming at the shrinking Australian man in front of her, in the middle of an almost empty café.

“You should have let me know from the start that you didn’t love me at all!” The woman hissed. “That could have saved me some heartache and probably some dollars considering that I threw in a bit of my savings in that goddamn wedding –“

To her surprise, the man snorted – as if he was laughing to himself, as he ironically shook his head, as if he didn’t agree to what she was saying. “Vega,” the voice that escaped Gale was a completely surprise, since it was much tender than the ear-shattering hissing and groaning he was doing earlier. “You’re just the same. You were always the same.”

The woman felt as if she saw red. “Excuse me?!”

The man looked up at her with green eyes and spoke. “You were just the same,” he whispered. “You never really loved me, Vega.”

The words that escaped him horrified her for some reason.

Her lips quivered as she spoke. “How dare you say that –” she said through gritted teeth.

“You never really loved me,” Gale said softly, as if a small part of him was hurt by it. “You never really did. You gave me sweetness, you gave me loyalty… but between you and I – we both know I never had your heart. Even if you were with me, you were always somewhere else…”

Vega felt as if she was shaking in fury.

This was an insult to her previous feelings.

But then again a voice in her head was asking her to calm down, since none of those feelings mattered anymore.

“You never gave me your 100%,” Gale said softly, peace suddenly returning to his green eyes. “Think about that.”

But that was too much for Vega to bear. For the man she claimed she loved saying that she never loved him, was the greatest insult she could ever hear. Even if it didn’t matter anymore, even if the wedding was over, hearing Gale say that she never really gave him her one-hundred percent made the woman’s blood boil. And that was when Vega said that their conversation is going nowhere, and the conversation is over.

Straightening up, Vega began to take the opal ring off her finger –

“Don’t –“ Gale stopped her feebly, waving about his right hand. “Gifts aren’t meant to be returned, and if they were – then that’s an insult. Keep the engagement ring.”

The sight of the black opal now disgusted her. She wished she didn’t wear it at all, but it was the only thing that reminded her that she had to call this whole thing off. Removing it completely off her finger and slipping it in her purse, the woman turned to her ex-fiancé for the last time.

 

“Goodbye Sebastian Gale.”

 

Turning around with her white trenchcoat swishing about, Vega left the table and her forlorn-looking fiancé whose face began to soften the moment she turned her head around. The woman was almost at the door of the café, when she suddenly felt someone’s hand on her shoulder, calling out, “Vega wait!” To her surprise, she turned around to find a woman standing behind her.

Frowning, Vega turned around to face the woman who caused her so much pain, as she wrenched her shoulder out of her hold.

“Vega please let me talk –“

The smaller woman did not expect the words that came out of her mouth to have such intensity, but she was glad she was able to deliver it without stuttering. “You are not going to say sorry to me, Becca,” she said through gritted teeth, as she found herself wagging a finger at her shocked-looking cousin. “Not now, not ever.”

Rebecca found herself backing away as Vega held her chin high up, standing her ground, facing the woman who had an affair with the man she was supposed to marry.

“You will suffer your whole life trying to apologize, because I will not accept it.” Vega did not regret saying any line of this, even if she felt she was a bit too harsh when tears began to roll down her cousin’s cheek. “One day your children will march up to me asking me to forgive their mother. Them I can forgive for such an indiscretion – but you will never hear my forgiveness.”

Gale had gotten out of his seat now and was marching towards them, when Vega realized that it was her cue to leave. Rebecca has now completely burst into tears, her hands shooting up her face as she began to sob, as the man suddenly ran to her side, comforting her with the way he rubbed her shoulders, his green eyes shooting towards the girl who just walked away from the café – regrouping with her two friends who placed a hand on her shoulder, asked her if she’s okay, and shot angry glances at the two of them left at the café.

Never did Vega dare to look back again.

 

 

***

 

 

“Used you? Used you to get to _her_ –“

“Why the fuck did he even propose –“

“Man, Vega,” the redhead hissed. “Those Australian guys sure need a kick to the head –“

Pushing around the bacon on her plate, Vega found herself shrugging as she turned to Lila, saying, “Not all Aussie boys are like that, I assure you…” She then sighed. “But I don’t think I’ll be looking for one anytime soon…”

Lila and Mari exchanged glances before they started berating the ex-groom in front of the supposed bride’s face as she attempted to try to eat the food she picked up from the Continental Buffet. One talked about how Vega shouldn’t have gotten back into the relationship, while another fought about the fact that their friend didn’t know about the entire affair at all and was made to look like a complete idiot while she planned a wedding that was going to happen. As they discussed and asked Vega about old wounds that were about to be reopened considering it was only day one of her healing – the girl found her head spinning and losing her own appetite for such a scrumptious breakfast that was sitting in front of her.

“Guys,” Vega suddenly found herself saying as she placed her utensils down. “Can we – Can we skip this for another day,” she sighed. “I just dumped my so-called boyfriend, and just said the most hurtful words to a woman I used to consider as my sister… and I don’t really want to go through this right now.”

The faces Mari and Lila gave Vega made her feel sick to her stomach, even if they were compassionate and empathic about the entire situation, providing the comfort she needs at such a time like that… But it was the pity in their eyes and that hollow feeling in her heart that made her wish she was someplace else, not wanting to think about those two people who betrayed her… Or the fact that she suddenly feels even empty than before…

“Oh Aeoren,” Lila mused, the anger on her face subsiding.

“It’s alright sweetheart,” Mari exclaimed, placing a hand around Vega’s shoulder. “We understand…”

And that was when someone suddenly turned up, her black iPhone in her hands, clearly looking infuriated and frustrated even if she was on the phone earlier with her boyfriend. “ **THAT LYING, CHEATING BASTARD SHOULD BE HUNG UPSIDE DOWN AND FUCKING CASTRATED –** “

Mari dropped her jaw as Lila spoke, “Come on Max –“

“ **HE WAS LUCKY THAT I DECIDED TO STAY A ROOM AWAY EARLIER,** ” Maxine Jade Gilligan huffed, as a voice from her phone, still attached to her ear began to ask her to calm down. “ **BUT IF I WAS THERE, HE BETTER PRAY FOR HIS LIFE –** “

Lila winced. “Is Fred still on the line?”

“ **WELL YES,** ” Max said through gritted teeth. “ **AND HE ALSO CLAIMED HE MAY HAVE SLUGGED THE MAN’S FACE THE SAME WAY THAIN DID IF HE ONLY KNEW –** “

“Jesus Christ Maxi have you been drinking the wine from the open bar of the Hotel ag—“ Lila got up on her feet and almost hurled herself at the red-faced woman, grabbing her chin. “IT’S MOTHERFUCKING 730AM IN THE MORNING –“

As Lila managed to drag the drunken woman outside, cheeks red and somewhat trying to talk both to her boyfriend and her friend who was hauling her outside, they almost crashed into an unusual sight of two blondes entering the posh-looking dining area, hand in hand. Both had a sparkle in their eyes, and they just couldn’t stop looking at each other – only for them to lean in and kiss one another, like two teenagers out having their first public display of affection in the mall.

The thing was, they weren’t teenagers at all.

“Is that –“ Vega started, pointing at the two who had to pause and try to hide behind a pillar as they passionately and trying so subtly to suck face, before disengaging so they can find a nicely concealed table at the end of the dining hall, resuming their acts of affection.

“Yes, yes it is,” Mari said with a sigh that sounded like angels taking flight. “They finally did it, and we’re glad that they did…”

Vega raised her eyebrow. “Alex and Sam…?”

She didn’t see how Mari nodded, since she was completely surprised with how passionate her two friends were with each other. Every touch, every whisper, it was done in a distance – but Vega could definitely feel the fibre of their attraction, and probably their love from a mile away. And the weird thing about it was she didn’t feel disgusted or awkward by it, considering she just stepped out of a relationship fracas… but somehow, she found it _comforting_ …

“That’s good news for today…” she felt herself softly whisper.

“It is,” Mari exclaimed, her eyes straying for a bit where Lila was having a playful tussle with Max in the hallway, trying to get the drunk girl to calm down.

“It’s a bit queer though,” Vega exclaimed, as she shoved a spoon filled with eggs and ketchup in her mouth. “Isn’t it a bit too fast for them? Considering that they only met…” She suddenly started ticking off her fingers, ignoring the way Mari slowly turned in her direction, raising an eyebrow. “Give or take… six months? They practically just met and it’s barely a year!”

To her surprise, Mari just started chuckling. “Oh Vega,” she mused. “I wondered when will you learn this lesson –“

The supposedly jilted bride looked at her friend and made a face.

“They haven’t really just met, Aeo…” Mari explained patiently to her frustrated friend who was seemingly blinded by fury and jaded by the events that just caused her pain. “If you would remember – they knew each other for a long time… Alex had took over Alexa’s username as Alistair, and fell in love with Samantha.”

This was the moment Vega completely lost interest in her breakfast as she pushed it away. As much as she wanted to be happy for her friends, she barely can stomach anything that could do with love. It made her sick, infuriated, and even so the more – frustrated. It’s like things just don’t match up, and she’s sad, and angry, and hollow… and _empty…_

“Well lo and behold,” Mari said. “Sam loves him too.”

Vega found herself just nodding, trying to find an inch of true happiness for the situation. “Good for them,” she exclaimed.

The taller, married brunette turned to her friend and smiled. “You can’t really stop love, whether time or circumstances have torn you apart,” she exclaimed, causing Vega to look at her, glance at her, as the words somewhat got past Vega’s cold-hearted and barrier made of bitterness and pain, as the message began to sink in her brain. “That’s how beautiful it is.”

“I guess so,” Vega found herself agreeing, trying to let the words sink in her brain, no longer surprised by the words that escaped her mouth.

At that moment, Mari began to search in her tote bag, pulling out a yellow envelope as she placed it on the table, pushing it over to her small black-haired friend.

“I know it’s not the best time to give this, and I don’t really want to rub a bit of salt on the wound,” she exclaimed, trying to be apologetic not just with her words but with her eyes as well. “But here is something that I should have given you months before – and I never found the best time till now.”

Vega had barely placed a hand on the yellow envelope, when they heard a crash in the hallway – startling not just them but the mushy couple sharing breakfast as well.

“Oh dear,” Mari exclaimed, getting out of her seat. “Is there a possibility that Lila’s drunk as well? I’m not sure if she threw a fist at Max but –“ Biting her lip, she turns to her friend seated beside her and says, “I’ll be right back.”

As the girl sprinted for the exit, completely ignoring Alex and Sam who looked at each other for a while, confused, before resuming their task of feeding each other waffle bits; Vega found herself with an abandoned breakfast and the yellow envelope that Mari handed her. Looking around, clearly getting a view of the almost empty dining hall at the four-star hotel at that early morning, Vega made sure that the coast is clear before slowly lifting the envelope up horizontally, then unfastening the black band that held it closed.

She shouldn’t be surprised at all, but she was waiting for this – the printed 6R pictures from Mari’s wedding.

Brushing her hands on her black jeans, Vega found herself placing the yellow envelope aside as she straightened up on her seat, suddenly excited with pictures that were probably taken almost half a year ago. For a moment, it was as if all her problems were brushed away as the woman found herself staring at those beautifully edited pictures of all the girls in red, with the men standing behind them in their wonderful suits – making them shine and glow than how you would usually see them.

A small smile began to brush up upon Vega’s lips when she saw the wacky versions of the mercenaries, with the silly poses Lis and Mari tried to pull off, the latter losing all her dignity even if she was in her wedding dress – looking so gorgeous even while wearing a duckface. The boys didn’t look too bad themselves, as a candid shot of Tom and Fred were taken, with both laughing – tongues out and all, looking dorky and weird as ever.

Somehow, the smile on Vega’s face began to fade as she began to see picture after picture of her _other_ best-friend – not the one who was running candidly in heels outside of the dining area. As much as she felt like smiling due to the infectious grin Tom was wearing in the pictures, no matter how she tried, no matter how she swore she would try to sleep the night before – she couldn’t erase the image of his face, his tears in the rain, or how he walked away saying “I can’t…”

She lifted the last picture of the girls surrounding Mari seated in the golden chair…

And what she saw managed to knock out the air in her lungs, causing her to gasp.

There it was… those pictures that she may have dreaded way back when it was taken, as she was so scared that maybe if her so-called fiancé got his hands on these, he may ask her questions she couldn’t answer… considering how Tom smiled at her and how he held her waist…

Not to mention how beamed as he chased her around the golden chair …

How he blushed when she wrapped her hands around his waist…

How he smiled when he tried to kiss her cheek when he seated her on his lap…

How he laughed as if he was the happiest man on earth when he carried her in his arms…

It would have been _so obvious_ how he must have been so madly head-over-heels in love with her at that moment, and even Vega was surprised with how she just blatantly admitted and said _that_ in her head, as if she never tried to deny it in the first place. After everything _that happened_ , truth and her conscience could not allow her inner voice to even deny Thomas’s true feelings… Not anymore…

And what baffled Vega even more, was how much she smiled in those pictures, as if she shared the same sentiments, as if she didn’t have a care in the world or even had a fiancé, as if she was truly, madly –

 

She didn’t know why… but suddenly she felt so lightheaded.

Like a barrier was freed from her brain…

And a realization settled in…

Filling her chest with a pounding she cannot contain…

 

That was the moment Vega realized that she has _snapped_.

 

After two years, she finally **_snapped_** _._

 

She raised her eyes from the photo in which Tom was holding her in his arms, as she was clad in that beautiful red bridesmaid’s dress; as she looked around the empty table… suddenly wishing she wasn’t alone, suddenly wishing he was just right there sitting across the table from her, that he’d be there comforting her like he always did, saying that it’s okay, that she doesn’t need Gale anymore, that it will be a whole new life, that she’s with _him –_

But that’s the thing.

_He was not._

And that was when tears began to pool in her eyes.

Two years of being unsure, two years of being scared, two years of telling herself that she didn’t deserve the chaos, she didn’t deserve the consequences brought about by his fame, two years of being a coward – It took her two years to realize that _none of that should have mattered_.

 

Because she loved him…

_…she loved him all along._

 

Next thing she knew, she was biting her lips to keep the tears from flowing down her eyes, as she stuffed the pictures Mari sent her inside her messenger bag, before getting up from the table, her boots making these small hurried, panicked noises as she went for the exit – completely ignoring how Sam wrenched herself from Alex’s mouth, trailing her worriedly with her green eyes.

She almost ran into the talking buddies in the Hotel Lobby, where the two friends are casually chatting with each other, trying to subdue a violent Max who may have had too much rum that early morning, considering that the Bar was offering free drinks.

“Have you heard anything from Tom?”

“Well drunk Maxi here was told by her naughty boyfriend that Loki went back to his flat to fix some stuff,” Lila exclaimed, still holding the struggling Max in a headlock. “Didn’t really leave messages or anything –“

“He said he – _ack_ ,” the Latina scoffed while being under the redhead’s headlock. “He had important business to attend to – _Lila come on_ –“

 

This happened to be all that Vega needed to hear.

 

Approaching the girls, she casually tapped Mari on the shoulder, smiled at Lila, and gave Max a face – considering that she was holding a lump in her throat from sliding down, or else she’ll burst out crying on the spot. “Gotta go,” she said in a gravelly voice.

“Where are you going, Aeo?” Mari suddenly piped up, as Vega took out her gloves from her pocket, as she headed for the double-doored exit, wincing when she saw that it was raining outside.

“Emergency business,” she said in a rough tone, hoping she didn’t have to turn around. “See you girls later.”

And without thinking, she mindlessly ran out towards the rain to hail a passing cab.

 

 

***

 

 

It was barely nine in the morning, and it was already raining.

He stared groggily up against his bay window as he sat on his leather couch, running his fingers against it… trying not to remember the memories tied up with it. Running his hand through those curls he’d been trying to grow, he just found himself swallowing – having no appetite for breakfast, considering the state of his stomach, and what he had been drinking... But then his bedroom-eyes fell on the ton of boxes standing near the door and almost spilling in his kitchen, reminding him that _he does have_ to take breakfast, if he’s going to have the energy to have at least one-fourth of the unpacking done.

But he was glad to be back in his flat, far from the one he bought and leased for a friend…

He just wished it wasn’t so empty… but considering his options, his own wants and needs, it was all he has at that moment…

And not to mention how the rainy weather was making him so lethargic, making him just want to curl up, bury his head in a pillow and hug one as he’d try not to cry himself to sleep this time –

 

That’s when he heard a knock on his door.

 

Sighing to himself as he got up, straightened his loose white shirt over his gym pants, he ruffled his curly hair again and took note how he possibly haven’t shaved or trimmed his beard that day… He decided to go to the door anyway considering it may just be the contractor or one of the people who would help him unbox his furniture and move it around…

But then upon opening the door, he felt like furrowing his eyebrows as he found the reason why he wanted to go back to bed and sleep the day away in order to get rid of his horrible feelings – right there, standing in front of him… drenched from head to toe.

It was a surprise, considering that he was thinking that she should be at the Marriage Counselor at this minute, as he was expecting her to go back to her lying and cheating boyfriend as she did before – not knowing of the events that transpired that morning between the supposedly engaged couple. But then he remembered how Vega managed to slug her horrid fiancé in the face the day before, and that would have been enough to call off the wedding…

And yet he wonders why she’s standing there, in that beautiful white trench that brought back bad memories than only made his heart feel heavier, dripping in rain water, with those breath-taking brown eyes looking up at him, swollen and red, as she tried to find the courage to open her mouth and speak.

“Vega,” he whispered monotonously, the name seemingly meaningless on his tongue now. He was the one who had the courage to speak, as he looked away – not liking how she turned up at his door without notice... or at least a time when he felt emotionally compromised… or vacant. “What are you doing here –“

He didn’t have the power to face her, nor the courage to see her again. He walked home crying the day before, completely cussing at himself for being so juvenile and helpless with a girl – considering this hasn’t happened since he broke up with a woman he thought he wanted to marry… even way before that slip-up in Cornwall. He told himself how he was tired of wearing his heart in his sleeve, and he needed to protect himself from the pain that was currently enveloping his being…

But yet he sees her – her dripping hair that already grown longer through the past months that passed him by, bangs almost covering those forlorn eyes. He felt his already broken heart slowly numbing itself from the shattering pain he went through the day before, while he watched her try to get a hold of herself as she stood painfully and uncomfortably under his cold yet hurt gaze – but he just didn’t want to feel anymore. He just stood there, holding his doorknob, trying not to think about wanting to take her into his arms, dry her up, put her to bed and reassure that sad face with kisses… For the first time ever since Vega had been thrown in his life, he just stood there… _not wanting to do anything._

 _I can’t go through this kind of pain anymore,_ he thought, casting his blue eyes down. _I don’t want her breaking my heart any further_. _I don’t want to feel anything…_

“You’re not supposed to be here…” he found the courage as he spoke again, hoping to jar the woman back to her senses, and have her say the words she wanted to say – considering she had something to say that was why she was there so early in the morning, in front of his flat. For some reason he found himself saying, “And you better go dry yourself up… It’s such a shame for that trench –“

Defiantly, Vega opened her mouth and a heartbreaking sound escaped her lips. “But it’s raining.”

Tom rolled his eyes as he leaned on the doorway.

“What,” he scoffed ironically and defensively at his own emotion-fuelled words from the day before. “As if the rain holds anything important between us anymore –“

“Yes,” Vega whispered through gritted teeth, as she dared to look up at him again with those teary brown doe-eyes, trying to get his attention. “It does.”

Frowning, Tom turned to look at her.

The girl sighed and said, “You were right. You have always been right. The rain always meant something… It meant something to _you_ , and it meant something to _me_ too…”

The man raised his eyes questioningly at her, but this time with an exhausted look and a new flare of anger seemingly brewing in them. Tom was tired, he was exhausted… he felt like he didn’t need this. The wounds are too fresh, and the pain is still throbbing… _He didn’t need this --_

_._

“And this time it means that I want you back,” she whispered softly.

 

Tom felt as if he saw red.

 

He gritted his teeth as his head swam. He gripped the knob of the door hard, as if he wanted to fling it in her face – but as he shifted in his place dangerously, he raised his elbow, threatening to slam the door – only to send it flying backwards as it bounced off the wall. Vega found herself wincing as she saw his aggression, only to have it blurred with her tears even further when she opened it – seeing him saunter back inside his room, hand on his hip, and another on his mouth, as if he didn’t know what to do – turn her out or invite her in.

And that was when Vega saw the several bottles of beer standing on his kitchen counter and his coffee table…

And it broke her heart even further.

“Y-You’ve been drinking…”

To her surprise, he sneered as he turned around, giving her a better glimpse of the shadows underneath his eyes and how blood-shot it was, slowly giving her the realization that maybe the man hasn’t slept the night before.

“Does it even matter to you now,” he scoffed at her, the sound of his voice, driving another knife in her heart. “Does it?”

Vega felt like breaking down then and there. Gone was the best-friend who whispered soft nothings in her ear; comforted her as she cried like this in her room back at their flat. Gone was the best-friend who said he loved her despite the fact that there was a ring from a cheating liar slipped on her finger. Gone was the man who truly loved her – _and she knew that it was all her fault_.

“It does –“ she whispered, closing her eyes, tears flowing down her face without shame now, as she wrung her hands, taking a closer step at the man who could barely stand up on his feet, his head swimming with the hangover and the pain throbbing caused by her words and the entire situation. “You matter, you always did –“

“Well then it’s too late for that,” Tom said through gritted teeth as he flopped exhaustedly on his couch, as if he didn’t want to hear anything that she has to say. And this would have been enough to send Vega sobbing as she stood on that familiar-looking carpet. But still she stood her ground and tried to approach the man who has trapped himself in his shell, the same way she did… trying to call out to him, have him heed her words –

“Tom, please listen to me –“

The man seemed to ignore her as he picked up a sealed bottle from his coffee table, popping it open with the keychain hanging with his flat keys, glaring at her the entire time as he picked it up and drank from it. He did not say a single word, but with the way he glared at her, he was daring her to go on. Daring her to continue with what she had to say…

Daring her to speak…

 

“What is this,” he drawled on as he broke the silence, without taking his eyes off her. “Some random desperate attempt to make up with me…”

“Some sad attempt to be _friends_ with me again –“

 

Vega felt herself squeezing her own hands too tightly, realizing no matter how painful his words were, she couldn’t find the power to snap back just like before. It was her own fault they ended up like this, why he was driven to this kind of hostility, it was because of her why he was in pain… She had no reason to argue, lest she wants the wounds to run even deeper…

“Maybe you want to be friends again as you need company to deal with your aching feelings for a man who abandoned you…” he whispered bitterly, finally tearing that bone-crushing glare from her, allowing her to breathe. “After all, that’s all I am to you anyway…”

He snorted, trying to stifle a sarcastic laugh. “A comfort blanket…”

As much as it hurt, Vega found out that his words were true.

It has been so true and sound that she doesn’t have any argument for it. After all, the man made her smile, and gave her the grandest kind of comfort she has experienced in her twenty-seven years. His presence always made her heart feel lighter (despite the silence and coldness he was displaying right now) no matter what she claimed or said about him, and his words would have been enough to hush her and stop her from shaking on the spot… even if he was currently doing the opposite, being indifferent towards her as she expected… After all, with everything he did for her, he had all the right to be sitting there… sitting like a whore… glaring at her as if she stole a huge amount of money from his bank accounts in Switzerland…

…when it was more than monetary that she stole from him.

And they both know that there’s a very cheesy answer to that question.

With the way he scowled at her, it seems as if the message was received clearly as Vega stood there, in front of him, in the same flat where he first kissed her – the memory making the entire exchange about to happen even more bitter than what it already was.

Sighing, she found her mind racing with the words she wanted to say at that very moment, seemingly losing all the courage she gathered just to turn up at his flat, despite having recited her speech over and over again in her head as she rode in the cab, wringing her hands the entire time – half cursing herself why she only had this realization now when she could have saved herself and _him_ the heartache that lasted two years –

“I know I have caused you pain,” she started, voice shaking. “I have caused you _great_ pain…”

With the way he rolled his eyes as he looked away, Vega would have given up on the spot and walked out... but not this time. She has always ran away from _this_ , and if she wanted to get things done and be able to deliver that message she has trapped within her for years on end – she has to stomach _everything_ Tom should have done to her years before, considering how stupid and stubborn she was.

“But there is a reason why I am here right now,” she whispered, twiddling her fingers as she stood there, completely ashamed at the way water seemed to pool around her boots, as she clearly made her presence in the flat with the trail of water she made from the door to the old carpet she was standing on – somewhat comforting her that she stood there, just so to stop the damage from spreading. But considering the dirty, unoccupied state of his flat – he didn’t really care if she ransacked the place with her bare hands, but Vega didn’t have the heart to do that when she turned up to somewhat fix things. And little does Tom know that she was willing to drop on her knees and clean the mess up herself, if he allowed her to… But right now, that wasn’t really the case.

“And that reason is…” she found herself taking a deep breath, trying to gather the words she had formed in her head beforehand. “When you realize that you’re in love with someone…” Her eyes nervously travel from the floor as she tried to search for his amidst all her tears. “You want…” her voice shook upon discovering how his expression never changed. “You want to know them right away that you want to be with them…”

Her voice faltered. “From now on…”

She started to shake, as she took a deep breath to try and calm down, as she tried to recite the words from memory. “No more hesitations,” she whispered. “No more lies, no more deceptions, no more hiding… But I never really lied to you Tom, I never did. I never wanted to.” She sighed. “But no more of that. I’ve always been silent, and I’ve always been reserved. You have always waited after me, and patiently too.”

She blinked, trying to ignore the tears rolling down her cheeks. “You’ve worked too hard,” she continued. “And suffered for too long…” She tried not to look in his direction, afraid of what his reaction could be. “Let me do the work this time. Let me be the one who stands for you. Let me give you what you deserved and always wanted –“ She parts her lips and lifts those watery brown eyes to him.

“Let me give you the love you deserve.”

However, she only felt her heart sink into an abyss where she can barely retrieve it, as the tears began to fill her eyes once more, when she watched the man she just declared her love to – to sarcastically shake his head and stifle a small sardonic laugh, as he raised the bottle to his lips and slam it down on his dusty coffee-table, clearly left alone for months on end.

 

“And you tell me this,” he spoke exasperatedly, lips forming into a sneer. “Just now?”

 

Tom didn’t know what was even more rude, to laugh at her heartfelt statement – or to start screaming at her. Whether it was the alcohol or his anger, he didn’t know what to do. The least he could have done was just to just sit back and succumb to the fatigue he built up that night when he couldn’t sleep, trying to deny the fact that _he couldn’t stop tearing up_ – as he put aside his suit that was drenched in every inch, that only reminded him of the woman who stood before him, refusing to answer his questions – the same questions to which she is giving her answers to at that very moment… Just when he felt like he truly and completely have given up…

“Two years, Vega,” his voice was harsh now, roughened by his fury and scratched by the alcohol and fatigue that began to claim his sanity at that exact moment… His voice was harsh, but his tone was soft, making him more exasperated than infuriated, sounding like a man about to scream surrender after a very long war. “Two years of trying to get you to say it, ten years of _wishing_ to hear you say it – and you had to wait till everything has been said and done, flags had been taken down, and when a man had been drained for all his worth?! You only come out to say it now?”

The woman found herself opening her mouth, but there it was again – the inability to speak. As much as so many thoughts were racing in her mind, she just couldn’t find which of them were the appropriate thing to say as she began to melt in her own misery, watching the man in front of her wince as he closed his eyes – seemingly about to cry as well, before he gritted his teeth and opened those burning blue eyes to glare at a corner in his living room, gaining control of himself.

“And all along,” Tom continued, bravely and bluntly casting his blue eyes at her as he spoke in a hushed and resigned tone. “You said you didn’t want me –“

Suddenly, Vega found her voice.

“I have not said _that_!” she exclaimed, unclenching her hands as the fell down to her sides, clenched into fists. “I have never said that I never _wanted you!”_ She said out loud as she squinted her eyes, pursing her lips as she did so – moving away from him a bit, seemingly offended. “I never… I never did… say that…”

But upon speaking, she only felt her own resolve falter… considering that _she never really said anything_ , she _failed to say the right things at the right time_ … to a point that the man just ended up walking away, believe that she didn’t have anything good to say to him at all…

And the fear in Vega grew realizing that the ever-so-positive, ever-so-hopeful Thomas has his limits too… to a point that he was on the brink of giving up…

 _Or maybe_ , she thought, as she watched him raise an eyebrow at her, amidst that blank and expressionless face… as he warily watched her retake her place in front of him, too scared to close the distance, but determined and brave enough not to run away. _He has given up on me already…_

Vega opened her mouth, closed her mind – and let her heart speak… for a change.

“How can I ever say that when I truly wanted you...” she whispered, soft enough to make her point, but loud enough for the vacant-faced man in front of her to hear. “Needed you...” she closed her eyes, not wanting to see what else was going to transpire, not to see how he possibly rejects it, and not to see herself breakdown. “Loved you…”

Tears began to flow down her cheeks, tears more painful than those she shed for her ex-boyfriend who caused a supposedly joyful wedding…  to crumble into something that was horrendously disappointing. And the man who brought her true joy… didn’t want to be part of her anymore.  And this just broke her even more…

“And I was so blind, so stupid, and so scared to even recognize that my feelings were there…”

She opened her eyes, and knew she was walking towards a lost cause upon seeing the blank expression on Tom’s face, making her want to strengthen her resolve, maybe let him hear her own plea, her own cry, hoping that she’d stir the man’s feelings – the strongest she has ever encountered – and maybe… maybe… save her from this misery…

"I never…” she started, the words slowly coming out of her. “I never told you how it’s so easy to love you…” she uttered, voice cracking upon the sobs strained within her throat. “It’s just so easy to fall in love with you, Thomas. Haven't you even noticed that?"

His silence scared her.

But then, she would stomach that than deal with the painful sarcasm she knew he was capable of…

But In fact, he didn’t move at all… as if his outburst earlier began to drain away…. as he just sat there silently, holding his bottle of beer, not saying anything… struggling so hard to listen to her…

Without saying anything…

Somehow, the deafening silence just urged her to continue. "You've made it so easy; you've made it so quick and effortless...” She took a deep breath, completely ignoring the fact that she was a complete sobbing mess. “Admit it, everyone just can't help it but fall for you..." She knew the praise would fall on deaf ears…

On a normal day, Tom would have shrugged or raise his eyebrows in agreement… but he didn’t do so. He just stared at her, as if she was something impossible… and it deepened her pain even further since he looked at her as if she was something so flawed, so horrendous… and he was forced to look at her like that…

It was too much for Vega to bear, and with this she ended up bringing her hands up her face as she attempted to wipe away her tears… only to bury her face in her small hands. "And I've denied myself that chance to love you…” Saying those words hurt as much as she stood there, seeing how unresponsive he was to everything she was saying, everything he ever wanted, and how she was literally spilling what had been cooped up and compressed in her heart for too long – “It's so easy, Tom...” she was even surprised with how she was able to say all that, as she raised her head from her hands. “I-It was so easy I made it hard by pushing you away... just because I was so scared!"

“Me!” she exclaimed disbelievingly, a whole new voice escaping her person. “Vega! Vega who’s always so scared! So scared that I couldn’t tell the one person I loved – how much they mattered to me, how much I cared – and how much I didn’t want them to go!”

She shut her eyes and tears rolled down her cheeks once more.

“I was so afraid that had to hide behind lies, hide behind a wall, hide behind a failed relationship that wouldn’t solve my problems at all,” she paused, trying to catch her breath. “Just because I was so terrified that falling in love with someone like you was too good to be true…” She reiterated, clutching at her chest. “When it’s everything I have ever needed…”

Her tears were flowing freely now, and it made her weak how he still sat there motionless, knowing how he would usually jump at the chance of having to hold her, dry her tears, and comfort her… _especially that one night…_

“I couldn’t speak,” the words began to flow out of her like verbal diarrhea now. _Better now than never_ , a voice inside her head spoke. _Anything, anything, everything – just so he’d finally hear everything I should have said a long time before –_ “I couldn’t say the one word you wanted to hear. It’s my fault, I am a coward…”

She winced. “ _Was_ a coward…”

Vega stood there, orating all those restrained feelings she always had within her – from the day she first questioned the fact that _maybe_ she liked him, from the days she hated herself for feeling something for him, those days of silence when she was in Melbourne, to the days when she was beside herself with anger and jealousy towards the end of the year, last year. Everything that everyone used to see as something hidden only through her body language, was now spilling through her mouth as words. Everything, he always wanted to hear…

"I... I can't trap my feelings anymore,” she croaked as she shuddered, losing control of her hands as she gestured to herself. “I can't continue smiling like nothing happened whenever I see you down the corridor, whenever we greet each other hello and pretend like these is nothing going on between us... I can’t keep on running away after one night when something so _special_ , so _passionate_ has transpired between the two of us…” For a moment, she felt as if she was looking through a mirror – Tom’s unresponsiveness just reminded her of how cold-hearted and insensitive she had been the day before, the day before that, _ever since_. And this slowly drained all the power and hope in her heart, causing her to cry even more… crying over a war she waged that was about to be lost…

“I can't wear this mask any longer... I guess I have feelings too...” she suddenly pauses. “No, I don’t guess –“ she corrects herself. “ _I have feelings_ , I have these _for you_ …"

At the end of that sentence, she found herself running both of her wet hands through her damp hair, brushing away the water and tears off her face, to show him the purity of her feelings, and at the same time hope and wish for a reaction _or anything_ on his face.

Anything to give her hope…

Considering how bleak it seemed with just how this conversation was going…

Wringing her hands, Vega closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping she would drive the point home, no matter how hopeless it seemed – with how angry Thomas seemed to be earlier, and how silent and unresponsive he was during the entire time…“Now I stand before you, asking for forgiveness” she uttered. “And your love…”

She waited with bated breath for the man to say anything…

Anything at all…

It probably took forever, but then Tom blinked, severing that painful, expressionless eye-contact that he kept on her the entire time she was pouring her heart out to him _for the first time in history of anything_ ; as he didn’t say anything – or imply anything, in his attempt to let her know that he was listening… That he was taking her words in… That it was sinking in, no matter how much he didn’t want to listen to them anymore…

That he didn’t want to believe her anymore…

That he didn’t want to have _those feelings_ for her again…

“I d-don’t…” the words that came out of Tom were dry and vacant. “I don’t know what to say…”

Hearing his voice, just hearing it – caused Vega to widen her eyes and part her parched lips.

"Thain... I'm sorry...” Where Vega summoned her courage, no one could say. “I know it hurts… But it hurts me too… It hurts me even more…” The way she winced showed how genuinely painful she felt at that moment, no need to act it out, pretend or fabricate it. It did really pain her. “ And it really, really hurts...” She found herself sighing. “And I'm still sorry,” she whispered softly “I will forever be sorry…"

 

Tom just sighed.

The way he sighed was so peaceful, yet so resigned, like a man laying down his weapons at the end of the day – waving his white flag up. The sound of it would have been so comforting to the woman who was standing in front of him, but with how his expression dropped and he cast his eyes down… Vega could not find any comfort or assurance in the man’s expressions unlike before, and this sank her spirit even further…

 

“ _Sorry_ won’t cut it for my tears at the terminal when you didn’t show up…” he spoke softly, slowly finding his voice after the entire confession.

“Or the days I had to suffer missing you…”

He found himself gritting his teeth. “Nor the tears I had to hold back when I found out you chose someone else than me –“

He then turned to face her, blue eyes suddenly glassy for some reason. “Or the tears I couldn’t shed anymore from yesterday when you withheld everything from me…”

He winced, and she thought she just imagined those tears in his eyes. “You chose someone else… You came back with someone else –” he said bitterly. “You basically told me that _you didn't want me_ –" He shut his lids closed, confirming the fact that it was in fact tears brimming in his eyes as it began to roll down his cheeks…

And this broke her heart even further.

"It was my mistake,” she cried out, trying to move towards him,, hoping to comfort him, but unable to touch him with the way he flinched away from her. “The biggest one I'll ever make...” she said with a disappointed whisper. “I wanted you –“ she gritted her teeth. “ ** _I loved you!_** I was a stupid dense moron to never actually even admit it to you!”

She ran her hands frustratingly in her hair. “But I'm no coward now... Not now. Not ever.” She looked at him, trying to get him to look into her eyes. “And I'm telling you this."

Much to her chagrin… Tom just shook his head…

Her hands began to shake as she parted her lips… trying to get another response from him…

But the man just shook his head even further, as he picked up his bottle from the table, as if to drown his sorrows with it…

“Tom,” her voice began to shake, as her hands fell to her sides. “Please…”

“No…” the voice that escaped the man was far from the gentle and loving tone that used to greet her whenever they would meet, or the voice that was filled with happiness that bid her goodbye after their little _affair_ in the Way Headquarters, before shit went down… “Not this time, Vega…”

The woman slowly began to crumble under the pressure, the disappointment hounding her, and the heartbreak enveloping her entire being as tears began to flood her eyes once again. “N-Not this t-time…?”

The sigh that escaped Tom was just…

It was just _that_.

It was enough to send Vega into a crying fit where she would never recover…

But that was just the start of it…

 

The man placed his bottle down, honestly losing all the appetite to drink any more alcohol after the number of bottles her had the night before. But he knew he had to say something, and sometimes we say things that we regret when we’re under the influence…

It was one of those times when Tom wasn’t even sure…

“It…” he started, wincing as he raised a hand, trying to gesture about the situation. “It just… It just doesn’t work that way, Vega,” he said, a slur appearing in his tone. “You don’t – You don’t just march up and tell someone that you love them, when they already lost all hope –“

He was either too tired or too drunk to notice how the girl just hung her head upon hearing the words _lost all hope_ , as she began to silently weep in her place – a resignation, an admittance of a loss, as you would slowly pinpoint the moment when Vega _seemingly_ got the message and was ready to give up… The entire cause was at a loss…

“It didn’t work for me,” Tom whispered, as if he was just talking to Fred or a drinking mate, as if he forgot for a second who he was talking to – who was standing before him. “We both know that very well…”

 

Amidst the sobbing…

And her loss of resolve…

Vega found herself dealing with a failed mission, as she raised her head and asked…

“Isn’t it supposed to be enough?” she asked in this weak voice, feebler and smaller than how she first sounded when she found out that the man whom she thought to be the love of her life left her for another woman… as this time around, Vega felt as if her spirit was taken from her and crushed into a million pieces…

 

The shadow of the man whom she used to know spoke in front of her and said…

 

“Sometimes,” he whispered, looking away from her and out the window, head spinning. “It’s just… never enough…”

 

That was where Vega lost all her inhibition and brought a hand up her face, and uncontrollably started sobbing…

 

As the man seemingly ignored her, either too drunk to even notice, or too dense with pain to even care…

 

But nonetheless, he refused to look in her direction…

 

And that just caused her too much suffering…

 

The line Tom dropped after was almost muffled out, as Vega was drowned out by her aching heart, her misery, and that complete desperation on how the tables have been turned and she’s the one who’s holding on the end of a frayed rope where she would just fall off…

 

“We’re too broken, Vega,” he whispered. “Just… too… broken…”

 

His voice sounded as if he was a mile away.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

The girl found herself backing off, the entire room – the entire location suddenly becoming too suffocating for her as she felt as if she was starting to choke on the own air she was breathing. Taking a deep breath, starting to feel the hyperventilation coming on, she didn’t notice how the man turned to her with the same kind of swollen red eyes as Vega struggled to get a grip with reality as she clenched and unclenched her hands, racing against her brain as she tried to find the words that would bide her exit –

"It happened, it finally happened…” she gasped amidst her tears. “I'm the one wanting...” She shut her eyes, unable to stop herself from bawling again… but she had to swallow the pain down her throat, trying to hold on the small amount of pride and dignity left within her, making her wonder why did she come running for him – _her best friend whom she thought loved her so much_ … and he did… before he woke up and freed himself from _her stupidity…_

“And I'm not wanted…” she gasped the words out, as if she was bleeding them. “And you're right, Tom... It’s more painful than anything else…"

 

She couldn’t barely hear what he said next, not amidst the pounding of her heart about to burst out of her chest just to free itself from the pain –

 

“I don’t know, Vega… I just don’t know anymore…” his voice somewhat whispered to her. “I’m just… I’m just so tired…”

 

Unable to take it any further, Vega found herself raising her hands seemingly gesturing how all of this has to stop – _and she will be the one to stop it now._ Put things in the right order, put the things how it should be, where she would be the one to move away and honor Tom’s privacy –

“I’ll – I will…” she stuttered. “I will be the one to move away this time… I’ll give you what you need, the space you deserve, and the freedom you crave – No more of me, no more of that misery I am causing you, since I must have been that horrendous to you –“

Within the blur of her tears, she didn’t see how Tom unconsciously frowned at her statement.

“You will,” she started, taking a deep breath, as she tried to wipe her waterfall of tears away, looking pathetic by the moment. “You will have your space, your freedom – and less of me… and it’s my turn to wait. Wait for anything even if I’m waiting for nothing… My turn to wait for you…” Vega found herself sobbing again as she whispered, “Even if you’re not coming back to me…”

She broke into another spiel of sobs, so pitiful, Tom swore he never heard that kind of miserable cries before... as he stood his ground and refused to look in her direction.

Stopping herself in mid-sob, Vega lifted her chin up to gaze one last time at the man who managed to snap her out of her senses, her delirious pride and obliviousness, by finally standing up for himself by rightfully breaking her heart this time around – as she realized that he looked away, out the bay window – refusing to look at her pitiful sobbing figure…

 _Maybe this is an attempt to stop himself from comforting me?_ Vega thought. _Oh why do I even bother, I should stop imagining things… He clearly will not change his mind…_

Turning around as she rubbed her face like a little child who has been crying for hours, she found her hands on the knob of the door as she whispered behind her –

 

“ _Goodbye, Thain…_ ”

 

There was no response.

 

Vega felt herself wincing, trying so hard to forget that gentle loving smile that always formed on Tom’s face whenever he hears her calling him that name…

 

“I guess I’ll just always love you,” she whispered as she squinted her eyes. “Because _I always did…_ ”

And with that, she gritted her teeth and covered her face as she went past the door.

 

Something within Tom snapped at that moment when he heard her last words.

 

Turning his head around, as if he was waking up from an alcohol-induced coma, his swollen red eyes searched his now empty living room for a trace of that _someone_ , as tears slowly began to fall down his cheeks when he saw his front door left ajar…

 

 

 

***

 

 

Mari, Lila, and Max found themselves rushing back to the latter’s flat when they received a text from Vega that she decided to go home because… she felt sick.

 Considering the calm state she appeared in after that confrontation with her useless ex-fiancé, the girls were on vigilant guard as they waited for any news from Vega after her declared “emergency business” – fearing that she might spiral down the same fucked up depressed state their other male Mercenary Brother fell into – and there had been too many stories of jilted brides committing suicide or self-harm at that time of the year.

But the three of them breathed a sigh of relief upon finding Vega sitting on the floor of her room, still wet from the sudden downpour… but it was her swollen eyes and her pitiful sobs that quickly sent the girls into panic around her, as Mari and Lila placed their arms around her, and the now-sober Max was hollering about making “Chicken Soup for the Soul” to calm the “idiot” bride down…

Mari and Lila tried asking Vega what happened – but all she could whisper was that “ _she lost everything that mattered so much to her because she was so stupid_ …”

The girls hug and comfort her, saying that she didn’t deserve that bastard who cheated on her.

Vega just closed her eyes and let the tears flow… not saying a word on how she wasn’t talking about Gale at all.


	55. Vires Acquirit Eundo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vega picks up the pieces and prepares to go home back to Melbourne to a grand family reunion that was made in place of her supposed Melbourne Wedding. Whether the love of her family can heal her broken heart... this is something we have yet to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Vires acquirit eundo_ means “ _She gathers strength as she goes_ ”, which happens to be the motto of the City of Melbourne.

Three months.

_It has been three months._

True to her word, Vega kept her distance. In fact, she did what she was best at – _disappearing_.

Well this time, she didn’t completely disappear – she made herself obscure, but not enough for the girls to wonder why she was missing… although they were all sensitive enough not to badger Vega about things, considering that they are aware on how “emotionally sensitive” the girl was after that entire fracas about her “wedding”… and yet they were not aware that it may have been about something else…

Something that Vega didn’t bother mentioning or talking about…

 

The girls who flew out for her wedding decided to stay in London for at least a month before returning – considering it was just only Lila who was rushing home for her mother’s birthday. Sam stayed behind to look for a job, and of course, continue her relationship with Alex who was currently taking his studies at Cambridge, along with his brilliant sister. Vega decided to meet with Lila and Sam separately, thanking them for going them out of their way – but she preferred not to see the redhead off when most of the girls gathered at Heathrow on the day Lila left, saying she had fieldwork… When in fact she didn’t -- in fear that she’d bump into someone else… But still, the very proper and grateful Vega bought Lila a beautiful pashmina shawl, something similar to the one her mother sent her as some sort of “wedding gift” that she has somehow forgotten in the closet…

Although she was silently relieved that nobody seems to notice the invisible rift between her and her supposed Best-Man…

In fact nobody would notice, considering how Tom himself became obscure after that Wedding Rehearsal event. He did claim that he was on a business trip to New Zealand after that – but the girls only found about it through twitter. There was news of him going on research trips on the lower part of the hemisphere, but no one has got solid news of that either… Although they did notice the sudden silence between the two best-friends: the bride and her supposed best-man – nobody had the heart to question Vega about it at all… Although the girls do have some theories to themselves…

Theories Vega wouldn’t bother hearing about.

 

After personally cancelling and refunding all of the affairs that had to do with her failed nuptials, she found herself burying her nose in work. In fact, she’s been at work almost 24/7, coming in early and leaving late. Most of the time she’d go on pointless overtimes and would just bunk up at the sleeping quarters in Way just like what she did after that “stupid stripper night” – although her officemates did notice it, how Vega would refuse to go home and practically lived in the office.

“I’m sorry about what happened,” the young, and inexperienced Carrie would tell Vega. “I’m pretty sure that you have a better option out there…”

The numb woman would just gesture blankly at her Junior Writer, understanding that she didn’t know any better. “It just didn’t work out,” she would find herself saying, as she randomly patted the small blonde’s hand. “Sometimes things just don’t work out…”

Once again, Carrie flashed her that smile of pity that made her so sick to the stomach… _Things just don’t work out for me_ , Vega thought miserably, resigned to her fate.

 

Eventually, Vega found herself moving back in the flat.

It wasn’t truly getting in the way of the promise she made to herself of “ _not pushing it”_ , but considering the fact that their “male benefactor” truly moved out of the flat and Max was often nowhere to be found – considering she’s either at the bakery or fucking her boyfriend in his own apartment… Vega found the solace she was looking for in the last place she expected.

But sometimes, she would have to admit that she did move back into that flat where the empty walls hounded her of the laughter and those happy days she shared with him… in hopes that she’d probably catch a glimpse of him… Whether he’d probably pick up some of the things he left behind (like a beanbag, a whole load of pillows, a few suits and clothes, and the like) or pay Max a visit…

She suddenly found herself wishing for just anything…

Only to find herself sighing and telling herself that things are not going to happen as she sat in the now empty living room, having her cup of favorite tea – not noticing that she made that exact brew _he_ would make whenever she was sick, sad, or lonely…

 

Vega found herself guilty of a few more things…

Despite blatantly avoiding cafés they would frequent: from The Steam Room to Orleans, she couldn’t help but pass them by, in hopes of getting that glimpse she was wishing for. But most of those times her attempts are often failed, considering that both times she passed by – the cafés didn’t have the person she was looking for – and when she was about to attempt for a third time, she was irked with how she was seemingly acting like a stalker, and she just ended up avoiding those places completely…

As much as she hated it, she found herself bunking in the nearby cafes around the Way HQ, although she was silently mourning not having to taste her favorite caramel macchiato from The Steam Room, and that was when she found herself sighing, realizing that things weren’t going to be the same…

And what made herself hate things even more is that it all seemed just like a breakup…

When there is no relationship to even start with.

And these were the thoughts that would make her tear up, in the middle of things – whether it’s just fixing her bag, filing her reports, editing articles, or drinking her cup of tea in her new “favorite” café; and this sends her packing her stuff and running out, just so she wouldn’t be caught tearing up or sobbing in public.

 

There was one time when Vega found herself stepping through the doors of the Steam Room again, upon the request of her now lone female roommate.

“Well, lookie what the hipster circus parade dragged in…” Max found herself muttering, the moment her friend entered the said café one evening after work hours.

The woman found herself glaring at her best-friend as she sat on the couch just across Max, fixing her thick-rimmed specs on the bridge of her nose as she brushed away the bangs on her forehead. Vega’s hair has already grown almost to the same length as it was when she first saw Max in person, as she was able to tie back her hair with an elastic band. And to top it all off, she was too lazy to actually get into the same kind of get-up she was used to, back when she was still supposedly a blooming bride-to-be; and her daily overused wardrobe was reduced to a long black coat and whatever that has words on it that looks new – in that case, an old dark blue shirt with the words “Mos Eisley Crew” in that familiar-looking sci-fi font…

“Well isn’t that a great way of saying hello, Maxine Jade,” she said in a monotonous tone as she tossed her messenger bag aside, a loud flop emanating from the leather seat, considering that it was heavy with her laptop and iPad all stashed into one.

“What else would you expect, Vegetable,” she said, holding her arms out wide – showing off that delicious bod that had been getting enough exercise (in _all manners –_ from the gym, jogging on the street, and being all fours on the bed – if you know what I mean) through the past few months that she barely saw her “invisible” roommate. “You’re barely in the flat to a point that I’m the one shouldering the gas, the electricity, the water –“

Biting her lip, a small smile easing out from her glossed lips, for a moment – Max thought the old Vega has returned. “Missed me, didn’t you… Jadey?”

The girl in the red v-neck dress and the black leggings, making no motion or effort to hide the markings on her neck, just sighed and uncrossed her arms… a small gentle smile spreading on her lips, upon hearing the playful tone from her best-friend’s voice again. “There’s my Aeoren,” she cooed, reaching over to pinch Vega’s cheek, causing the other woman to try swatting away her hand. “This is like the third time I invited you for coffee and only _now_ you show up!”

Scratching randomly at her head, happy that her thick specs could hide the black circles underneath her eyes, Vega exclaimed, “Projects, deadlines, pesky writers…” She felt like tugging at her hair, wondering why she had to deal with an extra snarky August who got snobbier ever since. “You know, the like…”

Sighing as the two friends exchanged smiles, Max then decided to tone down her teasing, the insults, and her hyper attitude to suit the dreary cloud that was hovering over Vega’s head – that never disappeared since.

“You know why I’m calling you out, coaxing you out of the flat for once, Veggie-pie,” she said adoringly. “I heard that you were flying back to Melbourne.”

Wrinkling her nose and pushing up her glasses, Vega found herself frowning on the mention of her ridiculous nickname. “Just for five days,” she assured her, noticing the worried look on Max’s face. “I’ll be back before the week ends and I’ll issue a check from the back for those bills you’re worried about –“

“Oh come on Aeo,” Max whined. “Can’t you take a joke? You know that I prefer you being in the flat… It’s too quiet…”

 _Too quiet_ , Vega thought randomly as she just gave her friend a sad smile, hoping Max won’t see through her this time, like she always does. But much to her luck, no one can really figure out what Vega’s really sad about – the fact that she was used as a decoy for a love story, or that mysterious reason behind the fact that she wasn’t really talking to her Mercenary Brother – even online.

“I’ll be back,” Vega said in a soft voice, contemplating on ordering a cup of tea for a change, before returning the menu. “I think I’ll be back in time for your little trip to Paris with the girls –“

Max clucked her tongue. “Yeah about that,” she muttered as she leaned forward. “We kind of – wanted you to go with us.”

The woman with the thick rimmed glasses found herself raising her eyebrows and crossing her arms.

“We kind of figured that maybe you need a little break from all that dastardly media gossip research you’ve been doing for a month now, and we all know it’s bad for your health if you overwork,” Max said, shrugging her shoulders. “And of course, to put it bluntly –“ the Latina found herself making a face, making Vega wonder since when did Maxine feel so awkward with talking about the truth, when she’s spitting it on her face whenever she gets her hand on a glass of whiskey. “We want you to get your mind off _things_ , Vey…”

Tapping her fingers on the table, Vega found herself removing her glasses and massaging the bridge of her nose.

“I don’t –“ she started. “I don’t know if Paris is a good idea…”

She crossed her arms and bit her lip, her eyeglasses trapped in her right hand. “Sebastian and I were planning to have our _first_ honeymoon in Paris, a few days after the Civil Service…”

Max found herself wincing.

“I’m sorry –“

That was when the Latina squinted.

“ _First_ honeymoon?!” she enunciated. “There’s such a thing as a first –“

Vega winced. “Well, it was _my request_ , and he did tell me that we were going for an _official_ honeymoon after the big Melbourne Wedding in Singapore –“

Max raised an eyebrow.

The woman sitting across her suddenly found herself curling her lip in contempt upon realizing that her gutless, tasteless, lying, cheating cousin was working in Singapore and was supposed to return the same day they were going there for the Honeymoon –

“Why,” Vega said, almost bursting into tears about how stupid and brainless she was. “Why, Why, Why, Why am I so stupid…”

Eyes obscured as she buried her head in her hands, she suddenly found a pair of hands touching hers, causing her to look up to find her female best-friend’s smile gentler and sweeter than what it usually was. Vega found herself allowing Max to take her hands, as she grasped it both as she attempted to comfort her friend, silently berating herself why she wasn’t there for Vega when she needed company the most…

 _At least she’s not ratchet-crazy enough to pull out a razor and have me drag her to the hospital_ , Max thought.

“Just –“ she started. “Just let us know if you want to come with us when you return. I have a friend with her own Travel Agency, and we can get you tickets in a flash –“

Smiling gratefully, Vega squeezed her friend’s hand. “Thanks, sissy.”

Releasing them, as she called for a waiter to take their orders, Max found herself adorably wrinkling her nose at her best-friend-turned-roommate. “Oh and,” she added. “Please tell me you already refunded that fucking first honeymoon tickets for Paris – considering that you were a sobbing mess who wouldn’t get out of bed for the following days after your little showdown with the bastard –“

Vega’s cup of Earl Grey arrived, as the girl placed her glasses back on, giving it a look.

“The bastard paid for it, so he refunded it,” she snorted miserably. “So sorry – I may have to get your expensive last-minute tickets if ever I do change my mind –“

Like old times, Vega had to dodge a crumpled table napkin that Max had launched at her. “Oh poo!” The woman growled, causing Vega to smile again after a very long time.

Amidst their laughter and the grin that was starting to appear on Vega’s face… they were in the middle of tea and sharing macarons, when the girl in the long coat and the Star Wars shirt decided to open her mouth and talk about _that one thing that has been bothering her_ for quite a long while… But didn’t have the power to even talk or mention –

“So…” Vega found herself putting her tea down, after leaving one macaron bitten in the middle. “Have you –“ She found herself clearing her throat. “Have you heard from the… prodigal roommate?”

Max didn’t look up from her phone where she is obviously texting Fred and said, “Vega, he has a name you know –“

“Well yea –“ she stuttered defensively.

To her surprise, Max raised her head and smiled feebly at her nervous-looking friend. “Please don’t tell me that you and Tom had a domestic after the entire ‘Wedding-Shmedding’ fracas, because it’s the perfect time to –“

The older brunette found herself stopping in mid-sentence and joke, considering the grave look on Vega’s face. It is true that the girls have theories, but they seriously had no plan to push Vega towards Tom like they did before, considering how the latter was… currently out of range despite the other party being _single_ again…

“Forget what I said,” Max exclaimed, burying her nose in her smartphone again. “Well, according to Freddie-pie, I heard that our resident Norse God is probably doing red carpet posh shit in New Zealand, and then I heard he’s doing some appearances in Sydney…”

 _Sydney?!_ Vega tried so hard not to wince and raise an eyebrow. _What the fuck is he gonna do in Sydney –_

“But of course,” Max shrugged, looking up from her phone. “You should know that by now. He is in your area of jurisdiction, country, wallaby territory or whatever that is…”

The woman in the thick spectacles just found herself shrugging, the opposite to the tumultuous ideas flying in her brain – such thoughts and questions that she tried shutting out considering that she did make herself promise that _she won’t care anymore…_

 _I don’t need to make a promise to behave and evade him like what he did to me_ , Vega thought bitterly. _I can do it myself…_

“However,” Max continued, the sound of her smartphone keyboard clicking. “You should always remember that you can always get to Thomas with a text… or a tweet… After all you are sort-of his favorite person…”

_Not anymore…_

Vega said in the recesses in her brain as she found herself taking a pink macaron and staring blankly outside the Steam Room windows, munching silently on it. “Yeah, maybe I’d just leave him a message… He’d most likely leave a stupid ‘ _hello_ ’ in another language anyway…”

Ignoring Max’s little sarcastic laugh, Vega found herself looking at the droplets of rain that was starting to frame the window in front of her, reminding her of how things weren’t as simple as they were before.

 

 

***

 

 

_I'm having the day from hell,_

_It was all going so well, before you came!_

_And you told me you needed space,_

_With a kiss on the side my face, not again!_

_And not to mention the tears I shed_

_But I should have kicked your ass instead_

_I need intervention_

_Attention -- to stop temptation to scream!_

_‘Cause baby –_

 

Vega found herself wrenching that blue Doctor Who earphones off her head the moment she landed at the Melbourne Airport.

Two days in after Max’s little tea party (that evolved into a little laugh-fest that got her giggling like a little school girl again despite the depression spiral she was really dealing with by overworking herself), Vega buried her nose in a whole new kind of business – preparing to go back home where her parents and the rest of her family are waiting for her with open arms.

To top it all off, relatives flying in from the continent decided to hold the grand family reunion in her brother’s town for the third time in the row (the last time being Seth’s 2nd Birthday, just when she graduated from University). Obviously, everyone gathered at the Art Center of Australia, considering that she did announce (and even sent invitations) that she was getting married there. Despite the wedding being called off; tickets have already been booked and plans have been made – so they decided to turn the whole depressing reality of it into something to be happy about... After all, aunts and cousins from the United States would be visiting Melbourne for the first time, and they wouldn’t miss that experience for the world.

However, despite going home to a semblance of family, a city she was comfortable with, people who aren’t too cold or too friendly, and the comfort of the best coffee and churros while hanging outside the best museums in the city; Vega couldn’t help but think how she was wishing she’d be going home _happy_ and at least with _a lover in tow_ ; but she came home with _none—_ both her lover and her own happiness snatched away from her.

Despite giving the blonde female Immigrations Officer a feeble smile when she said “Welcome home”, Vega found herself popping her headphones back up just so to drown herself with what “The Veronicas” had to sing, in hopes that it would wash out whatever was left of her horrible, bitter memories of the previous city she was in…

 

 

_Everything is F'ed up straight from the heart_

_Tell me what do you do, when it all falls apart?_

_Gotta pick myself up where do I start --_

_'Cause I can't turn to you when it all falls apart_

_No.._.

 

 

There was something that made her tear up upon seeing the streets of Melbourne while sitting inside the bus that was going to take her and her little blue stroller back into the city.

Knowing that she was home and that she was temporarily far away from what she considered as her problems, Vega somewhat found solace on the fact that she will find love where it truly needs her – and it was back home. She did dream of leaving Melbourne for better opportunities, but she went back home twice to seek the comfort it offered her, the fact that she considered it her home with her nuclear family just there to support her – and the fact that for her, _Melbourne is love._ If she can’t find it somewhere else, if she can’t get it from _anywhere she goes_ , she knows she can go back home, right into the waiting arms of her father, her mother, and her brother – and _she knows she will be loved no matter what_. After all, that’s what family is for.

And with this fact, Vega found herself brushing a tear away from her cheek, just when she thought she had no more tears to shed after everything that happened to her…

Somehow, with the familiar sight of the Southern Cross Station along Spencer Street coming into view as the bus she was riding in pulled up towards the familiar-looking train station, she found the courage to smile again.

 

_Can it be easier?_

_Can I just change my life?_

_'Cause it just seems to go bad everytime!_

_Will I be mending?_

_Another one ending once again –_

Wallowing with how the music was seemingly appropriate with her feelings at that exact moment, Vega boarded a waiting tram that will take her to the city proper as she thought about trying to put up a positive face despite having to whine and sigh and silently cuss at herself repeatedly on the 15-hour flight… Just because she still felt _that awful_ after three months since calling off her wedding and deliberately ending a friendship with how _slow_ , _indecisive_ , and _impulsive she was…_

Shaking her head as she got off at the Southbank Complex, ignoring the way her boots made these loud clacking sounds on the pavement as she dragged her little blue stroller bag behind her, easily blending in with the crowd that was seemingly dressed appropriately for autumn.

There was something about the cold air at the Southbank. Whether that comfortable and nostalgic feeling is coming from the Yarra River just beside the sidewalk, or the chatter of people around her; it somewhat began to lift her spirits, clear her head of the pain she’s trying to dispel and helped her focus further on wearing the most convincing smile as she quietly concocted those answers to questions she believed her relatives would be asking…

From why she called off the wedding…

To why would she even choose a man like that…

Or maybe have a question thrown in her direction, inquiring if she already found anyone in replacement…

In a span of three months…

Vega just found herself shaking her head and wincing in discomfort with her thoughts, as she went past a giant swiveling door wedged between two large complexes that led towards the Lanai of the prestigious Crowne Plaza, considered to be one of the most posh Hotels in the city.

Just basking in the familiar structure, in the smiling personnel, Vega almost completely forgot about the blaring song pounding in her ear till she found someone screaming louder than the music she was listening to in high volume –

 

“ _Star_?!! Is that you?!”

 

Vega already found herself opening one of the big double doors of the lobby, when she swirled around to find a woman who was almost her height – albeit a few inches taller, who was walking fast towards her from the entrance to the carpark lobby. She couldn’t help but say how much she teared up when the woman suddenly broke into a run, arms wide open – as she crashed into her, the two women hugging and laughing in front of the Lanai, almost startling other guests.

“ _Kara_!” the younger woman gasped, upon regaining her balance, almost out of breath as she turned to smile at her sister-in-law. “Boy, am I glad to see you –“

“Hon,” exclaimed the only woman she considered to be her sister. “I heard about what happened and that was awful –“

Vega found herself wincing, trying to keep the smile on her face as she accompanied her through the lobby while they walked-in hand-in-hand, the familiar smell in the air and the setup of the location suddenly making her feel at home more than before.

 “Have I met that cousin of yours?”

“ _That_ girl?” That sour emotion she was trying to avoid slowly appeared on her face. “I don’t think so… She didn’t make it to your wedding with _Kuya_ …”

“Good,” Kara hissed, the little flair with her hand and the sway of her hips reminding Vega how sassy her sister was than her or Max combined. “I could have fried her hair if I had an inkling that she’d be out to steal your man –“

“I didn’t really see it either –“

“Sharpen your eyes girl!” Kara exclaimed, ruffling Vega’s fringes. “This is what happened when you’re too kind –“

Vega was slowly laughing again, completely missing her talks with the woman who helped her get through her applications, her files and documents, and considering that she was the sibling whom she cried to when she found out that her long-distance ex-boyfriend from her home country already got married to her childhood best-friend…

But then that was the moment when they passed by the piano that was conveniently placed in the corner of the lobby, providing entertainment for the guests and patrons who were either waiting for their room reservations or just hanging around the small bar at the side of the hall, thanks to the pianist and the female singer who would be there daily, as they sang familiar pop tunes known by the majority, but played to a tone that was sweet and soft for a relaxing place such as the Hotel Lobby…

And what completely caused Vega’s smile to melt away were the lyrics of the song that she thought she never heard before…

 

 

_I'd like to say we gave it a try_

_I'd like to blame it all on life_

_Maybe we just weren't right_

_But that's a lie, that's a lie…_

 

_And we can deny it as much as we want_

_But in time our feelings will show_

_'Cause sooner or later_

_We'll wonder why we gave up_

_The truth is everyone knows!_

 

She had to turn her head around and smile sheepishly at her sister-in-law who was comically berating her for her choice of a man, how her brother was right all along and would have pounded him into a pulp if he was able to prove the fact that her ex-fiancé was a lying, cheating scoundrel; as she silently clutched her purse in one hand while hauling the blue bag behind her, trying not to tear up with the music that was filling her head…

Trying so hard to shut out that haunting song with the particularly disturbing lyrics that was slowly pushing her back into a painful state that she has recently freed herself from –

But it was the sound of females squealing from the grand staircase that caused Vega to be snapped out of her delirious misery, as she looked up to see three cousins _whom she hasn’t seen since she was sixteen_ , running down the stairs – all of them crashing into her embrace, one by one.

“Mela?!” she turned to a chubby-looking one who just got out of her teens.

“Is that – Is that _GIGI?!”_

A taller brunette with blonde highlights who shared the same complexion as the supposed “guest-of-honor” (or dishonor for choosing the wrong guy, as her father would joke afterwards), buried her face in Vega’s hair – considering that she was a foot taller than her.

Finding her way out of the tussle and ignoring Kara’s giggles beside her – she was suddenly glomped by a smaller girl who was seemingly just fifteen-years-old despite being bigger and taller than Vega in all aspects.

“Ow, ow, _ow_ ,” she whined, as she felt her arm being twisted, trapped against the metal steel of the blue luggage stroller. “Shari, let go of my arm –“

“ _Ate_ Vey!”

“My God, _Ate_ , you haven’t grown an inch –“

“Quit squeezing her Shari,” the eldest, who happened to be the girl who looked as if she just graduated from high school piped up, pulling the youngest sister away from the girl in the brown trenchcoat. “You might snap her like a stick –“

“Guys, guys,” Vega whined. “One at a time, please one at a time – JESUS, SHARI HOW OLD ARE YOU? AND HOW ON EARTH DID YOU CARRY ME JUST LIKE THAT –“

The smallest girl just chuckled before placing her elder cousin down, causing Vega to laugh so hard – looking over at her impressed-looking sister-in-law who knew she had to intervene seeing how the woman’s hand was almost twisted around the extended steel handle of her stroller luggage.

“Alright you girls, let me take this back to the car downstairs,” Kara exclaimed as she took the blue stroller luggage from an otherwise-preoccupied Vega who hugged her sister-law-again before seeing her off and allowing her three female cousins to haul her up the grand staircase. “I’ll meet you three in the Garden Room!”

Grinning gratefully at her sister, Vega found herself returning her gaze at the three younger teenagers who happened to be the daughters of her father’s US-based younger brother who happened to run his own finance company.

“So you three—” she started to talk – before one of them managed to grab her towards the staircase, almost dropping her purse on the ground.

“Oh my God, _Ate_ ,” Mela, the eldest exclaimed. “I’m so sorry for what happened –“

“I’m sorry the Wedding got cancelled –“

“Mama says you were under the weather –“

“It’s such a shame you wouldn’t be able to wear that beautiful dress –“

Almost in the middle of the huge staircase where some of the daily shoppers, tourists and mall-goers have gathered, Vega found herself raising both her hands and pausing, muttering, “Woah, _woah_ –“ Turning around to face the trio of girls who can be considered half her age, she wore a grin of disbelief and said, “I haven’t really talked about _that_ supposed wedding dress yet – I don’t even think I showed you guys a picture? Now which one tattled on it – _my mum or my dad?_ ”

It was the eldest, who was currently attending UCLA who spoke up for her two rowdy younger sisters saying, “Oh, you should have seen _Tita_ Ada showing Mum, Dad, and the other guests that Wedding Dress made by an expensive designer from London…” Mela, short for Carmela, just clucked her tongue and added, “They said it was such a shame.”

Vega swore she would have a word with her mum considering that –she _never_ released a full picture of that _Trenton_ dress anywhere, not even on her blog. She was wondering if some stupid bloke hacked her fucking phone and released her photos somewhere – or her mother must be showing off another of those dresses from her designer friends that she wishes for Vega to wear –

She swore that she’d have a word with her mother.

They were almost at the back elevators when Vega was separated from her three chattering younger cousins who was sent off by their mother who came from the Ladies Room, giving the supposed bride-to-be a kiss on the cheek, after giving Vega her personal thoughts about the entire cancelled nuptials phenomenon – just like everyone else.

“I’m sorry about the entire thing, _hija_ ,” her Uncle Jan’s wife Joan, mother to the three boisterous girls earlier, exclaimed. “Clara would like to apologize to you personally about the indiscretions of her only child, but sadly, I think she’s coming in during the next few days –“ The frivolous woman who was notorious for her gossip covered her mouth and whispered in her niece’s ear – “If I know, the woman must be having a row or discussing things with that pesky child of hers… She must be confused whom to side with – the family or her daughter…”

Vega found herself making a face, akin to someone being pressed against a block of ice.

“But of course, you know mothers will be mothers,” Joan said in that high-pitched voice. “It’s such a shame that she has to be your godmother –“

This is exactly what Vega was afraid of – and it didn’t have to do anything with her directly yet. But she had already accepted the fact that her _Ninang_ would definitely side with her daughter… There is no way she could change anyone’s mind or convince them to side with her, after all what was done has already been done, Rebecca has technically fled with her ex-fiancé and she literally doesn’t have a care about it right now…

They were almost at the function areas at the third floor when a familiar-looking tall woman with glasses emerged from one of the doors of the _Garden Room_ only to hurry to her side to say hello, and Vega could see it through the glass windows how they managed to rent _all three quarters and had the dividers taken out to make one big function room_. Considering that the reunion mostly consisted of 45-60 people, she felt her heart warm up with the familiar faces behind the glass windows, eating, chatting, and drinking.

But most of all, Vega’s pretty amazed at how they managed to get _all three Garden Rooms_. The first thing that popped in her mind was her brother who got a new client – but yet, this would definitely show on the bill and she’s half praying that they wouldn’t hand it to her… even if she was willing to shoulder this kind of expense considering how happy her family seemed to be…

It was the soothing voice of her eldest aunt on her father’s side that snapped her out of her monetary thoughts.

“Ady,” she whispered as she walked towards her with arms wide open, the old nickname sending a good shiver down her spine. “I’m so glad you’re here…”

“ _Tita Evie_ ,” she felt the name escape her lips as she embraced the regal and reserved figure of one of the considered matriarchs of the family ever since her Grandmother died. “I’m so glad to see you…”

Clutching her arm, her almost-six-foot aunt smiled at her and gently guided her towards one of the entrances of the combined rooms. “I’m really sorry about what happened dearie,” she started, causing Vega to just nod and smile sadly, even if she is subtly getting tired of talking about the same thing. But what else would she expect – that is _pretty much the gossip of the town_ , since two of them in the same family is involved.

“Your father and I talked about it, and we can’t really do anything since it’s your cousin’s decision,” she exclaimed, clucking her tongue, causing Vega to just shrug it off.

“It’s –“ she tried speaking. “It shouldn’t really be an issue, Tita… I was hurt by Becca, but that’s beside the point –“ She paused to squeeze her aunt’s hand. “But what matters is that the man I trusted didn’t seem to be the one for me – and I realized it before it’s too late…”

Hugging her niece, Vega’s Aunt Evie lifted her face by her chin and smiled. “Look at you,” she whispered. “My little Vey is so grown up!”

Looking up proudly at her aunt, the aunt who helped fund her schooling back when she was still back in her home country, who was her older brother’s godmother, and who went home for her 18th birthday; Vega found herself saying “Thank you” once again to the woman whom she considered as her second mother.

“Oh there’s nothing to thank about, dearie,” her aunt pursed her lips and ushered her through the door, getting some of the guests to notice her. “Now go run along now, your parents and your cousins are waiting for you.”

As quickly as she said that – Vega found herself hugged, kissed, and talked to by almost every person who weren’t eating or conversing at that very moment. And every gesture, every “Hello”, every “I’m so glad to see you”, and the occasional “How are you’s” and “We’re glad your home” made her heart swell inch by inch, till she could never say that she was never truly loved before.

“Vey, I haven’t seen you since you were back home –“ said an elder cousin whom she used to play with in the gardens of her ancestral home.

“Have you heard about what happened to your _Kuya_ Armand?” Another elder cousin referred to another older cousin who happened to be her elder brother. “I heard he won the lottery in Maryland –“

Vega turned to that particular cousin – _Therese_ , whose firstborn daughter happens to be her age. “You guys caught up with _Kuya_ Armi? How is he –“

“Vey, do you remember me –“ said a girl who was probably twice her size.

“Shut up, Mal!” she screamed at Therese’s daughter, who happened to have a child of her own as well. “I’d recognize you anywhere!”

“How about me, do you still know me _Ate_ Vega?”

The woman dropped her mouth upon recognizing the tall young man with a complexion a few shades darker than her skin. Taking him in for a hug, she called with a big surprised smile on her face, “Jeez Jacen! You’ve grown up!” The young man who used to bully Vega back when they were little smiled cheekily back at her, despite being four years younger than her.

“I cannot believe Rebecca would do that to you –“

“Seriously –“

“And to think that she grew up with you –“

“I really don’t want to think about it –“

“I heard that _Ate_ Rebecca probably dumped several boyfriends in favor of the bastard,” said Robbie, one of her younger male cousins, probably two years younger than Jacen, who was trying to squeeze himself in between the adults, as Vega had to turn her head once more to exchange kisses on the cheek with a few uncles who were so happy to have her home.

She was in the middle of trying to explain her predicament and convincing her father’s brothers not to hunt the Australian down, when a voice suddenly rang from one of the doorways, causing the ex-bride to turn around and widen those chocolate eyes.

“Where is my hard-headed daughter?!!”

Vega literally rose from her seat, surrounded by her cousins and relatives – some whom she had seen a few years ago, some whom she hasn’t seen for years, and a very few whom she hasn’t met before – an expression forming on her face that rendered her almost into a helpless little girl who got lost in a sea of people, looking for her mother –

“Mom?!!”

As her mother quickly walked towards her to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, Vega had to stop her own tears from flowing when a little boy who was barely eight years old suddenly squeezed himself between his grandmother’s legs – running towards her, his arms wide open.

“ _Auntie Vee!_ ”

Vega almost literally fell back on her seat as the boy leapt in her arms, her laughter sounding like little bells as some of her cousins patted the boy on the back, while her elder cousins began to playfully scold the boy to be nice to his _Tita_ Vega since she had quite a long flight from London –

“Boy, Seth, have you grown!”

“He couldn’t wait to see you since your plane has landed,” her mother adoringly said, planting another kiss on her forehead and wiping away the tears from her daughter’s eyes, almost brushing off her eyeshadow and mascara that managed to withstand the test of time within her 15-hour flight. “And what took you so long?! Your guests couldn’t wait for you –“

“Ah the flight was delayed for an hour,” Vega exclaimed happily, unzipping the top part of her white cardigan underneath, as she was wearing layer upon layer to brush off the cold of Melbourne’s Autumn weather. “Sorry about that. But I couldn’t wait to get home –“

“Good,” Ada Guererro exclaimed, holding her daughter’s cheek. “Because we’ve got a surprise for you.”

For some reason, all the women who were surrounding Vega suddenly burst into whispers and shrill giggles, causing the woman to look around in wonder, only to see her handful of male cousins and some of her uncles involved in the fracas to either roll their eyes or snort in derision.

“Please tell me you found Kuya Armand –“ Vega started.

“Ooooh,” her cousin Leah suddenly uttered, blushing. “Much better than that –“

“ _Ate_ Therese is _pregnant again_?!” Vega exclaimed, ignoring the way Seth sat on her lap, almost standing up, making her feel a bit uncomfortable, as he played with her now-long hair.

Therese gasped, and slapped Vega on the arm, earning her a loud groan from her younger cousin as she held the spot where she was hit.

“Ah,” her mother exclaimed, looking around her cousins who were now all excited for some reason, subtly placing a finger over her lips, making Vega wonder if her mother thinks she’s idiotic enough not to know what that gesture meant. “Something better than that –“ It was Ada’s turn to slap her daughter on the arm. “My God, Vega Adelie! You should know about this, why don’t you –“

Unable to speak with the way Seth was tugging at the side of her mouth, Vega just shrugged comically, earning her a round of laughter from her cousins and uncles.

“Oh well,” she shrugged, winking at some of the girls. “You’ll find out soon –“

Able to shoving her nephew’s hand off her mouth and ruffling Seth’s hair as he giggled maniacally at his aunt, Vega turned to her mother and exclaimed, “Where the hell is my useless brother anyway? I bumped into Kara downstairs –“

“Oh he’ll come around –“

The door then burst open with her brother’s familiar laughter, accompanied by a deeper, rustier laugh that sounded unusually annoying to Vega’s ear.

“Speaking of that, here he is –“

Before Vega could turn around from her seat to greet her older brother, Seth suddenly jumped out of her arms, completely startling her, as he ran for the door, screaming, “ _Loki!_ ”

Raising an eyebrow and ignoring the curious ways the women around her raised their heads to look at whoever was at the door, Vega was in the middle of wondering what kind of batshit was her brother up to again (despite missing him so badly even when he’s so fucking cryptic sometimes), Vega turned her head around to see her beloved nephew be scooped in a man’s arms – _that happened to be not her brother’s_.

“Ah there’s my useless younger sister,” said Paul Guererro, wearing that mocking grin that hounded Vega for the rest of her life, whenever he did it. The last time he did it was the time when he surprised her at her debut when she thought he couldn’t come – and he was wearing this blasted smug smile Vega swore she hated _because she knew he was up to something_.

“Well, she _is_ your sister,” said the man standing beside him. “And she really tends to be _that_ late sometimes –“

Vega turned her head and swore she turned so pale as if she has seen a ghost.

Standing tall and proud beside her 5’8” brother (whose average height he also inherited from their 5’ mother), was a man who went past six feet, rocking her nephew happily in his arms, as Seth happily eyed those gold curls sitting on his head – wondering if he has the consent to do so, but the tall man ignores the little kid’s naughty intentions anyway.

“Isn’t it Sethy?” he cooed at the giggling little boy in his arms. “Did you already say hello to your Aunt Vee?”

“ _Yes Loki!_ ”

“Well then,” Tom exclaimed, smiling as brightly as the little boy. “It’s my turn to do so – will you help me with that?” And with that, he took the little boy’s hand as they both waved at the woman who was sitting aghast and not on her feet just like her other aunts and cousins, trying to get a better look at the “supposed Best Man who booked the entire place two days before” with her mother’s help.

As the man’s resounding _ehehehe_ that sounded so mocking in Vega’s head echoed through the room as he handed the child to his father, Vega didn’t know what face she was supposed to wear in front of the excited crowd anymore, despite practicing her lines and controlling that state of mind during the entire fifteen hour flight from London.

And to top it all off, she had no sanity left in her to deal with how the man – who just broke her heart three months ago – managed to give her the sweetest smile at that very moment when she’s looking at him with eyes as wide like a deer’s in headlights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Songs:** Songs involved in this chapter are “ _When It All Falls Apart_ ” by The Veronicas, and “ _Almost is Never Enough_ ” by Ariana Grande and Nathan Sykes. (I’d recommend you to listen to the second song, the latter. It packs a punch – especially in this story.) For some reason, Tori Amos’ “ _Sleeps with Butterflies_ ” nursed me away from the impending writer’s block caused by this story.
> 
>  **Vocabulary:** In Tagalog…
> 
>   * “ _Kuya_ ” means older brother, often a prefix added before a person’s name, like a title
>   * Same goes with “ _Ate_ ” that means older sister
>   * “ _Tita_ ” is Aunt
>   * “ _Ninang_ ” is Godmother
>   * “ _Anak_ ” means Son/Daughter, or a term of endearment a parent calls their child
>   * “ _Hija_ ” is a borrowed word from Spanish that literally means “daughter”, but it also is used as a term of endearment to any girl or younger woman
> 



	56. Thicker than Blood, Thicker than Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With an Englishman in the wake of her family reunion, Vega has to find out the reason why he's there in the first place without losing her patience or her temper. Not to mention those canned-up emotions...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “ _Blood is thicker than water_ ”, they’d usually say. But originally the saying is based on “ _blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb_ ”, but either way – there is something in that room that Vega is occupying that is more than the relationship she shares with her parents and her relatives… and she knows exactly what _that_ is.

“He looks familiar –“

“Mooom –“

“No I swear he does –“

“Mom, for Christ’s sakes you watched War Horse –“

“He was there?!”

“MOM HE WAS THAT CAPTAIN WHO HAS THOSE ‘PRETTY BIG BLUE EYES’ YOU WOULDN’T STOP SIGHING ABOUT –“

“The one who died and made those googly eyes?” Vega’s Aunt Marjorie exclaimed, eyes wide. “So that’s him –“

“Jesus fucking Christ, Mom…” Vega’s younger cousin Emile whined, burying his head in his hands.

 

Vega on the other hand wasn’t paying attention to this discussion between them at all, as she finds herself conveniently tabled with her boisterous elder cousin Therese, her chatty daughter Mallory and her son Chino, the three rowdy girls from earlier, their mother, and her uncles Felipe and Emmanuel.

What completely made her uncomfortable is the fact that even when she’s a table away, watching her mother and father sitting across her brother and her sister-in-law… She found it so surreal that a blonde six-foot British man is sitting right beside them, playing randomly with her seven year old nephew, while answering random questions from her family members with a smile brighter than the sun.

However, the fact that _she was supposed to be over that table mingling with her family_ didn’t bother her one bit, as she purposely volunteered to go around and say hello to her other relatives, trying to shoo away the fact that she’d be more than uncomfortable with the fact that the man who had been pining for her feelings for too long and rejected her at the last minute – was sitting there, laughing, sharing breadsticks with her equally amused parents.

“Vega,” her supposed niece/cousin Mallory suddenly whispered to her, snapping the woman out of her trance. “You’re doing it again…”

“Doing what?” she exclaimed, furrowing her brow.

“Biting your fingers…”

The girl looked down and realized that what Mal said was true, as she saw her nails currently taking a horrid shape with its blunt edges and weird bite marks.

“You haven’t bitten your fingers since high school, Vey,” Mal exclaimed, blush on her cheeks, raising an eyebrow inquiringly, making Vega feel even more uncomfortable. “What’s troubling you –“

Vega couldn’t really speak at all – but she felt a gasp trapped in her throat when she thought she just imagined how Thomas conveniently placed down Seth so he can play with her younger nieces and nephews, and quietly flitted those blue azure eyes in her direction, holding his gaze with her for a few seconds, before parting his lips and answering a question her father asked him with much ardor and excitement – gestures included.

“Nothing,” Vega exclaimed as she dropped her gaze at her brown purse sitting in her lap, almost completely dilapidated and losing it shape with how the woman squeezed and  clutched it with her bare hands. “Nothing really, must just be the jetlag taking over my brain –“

All of a sudden, she found her Aunt Evie in mid-giggle as she took the empty seat just beside her niece, causing Vega to almost jump, ignoring the way Mallory giggled beside her.

“Jumpy aren’t we, _hija_?” Her intelligent and almost clairvoyant Aunt Evie teased, causing Vega to make a face, only to smile sheepishly at her and shake her head. “Must be the nerves – want some coffee?”

“Already having some,” Vega exclaimed, raising her cup. “My third one this morning…” Upon saying that line, she felt herself closing her eyes, disbelief at the turn of events – not to mention that their British guest did it again… As he flitted his eyes in her direction in the middle of his conversation with her mother, smiling for a second, before retracting his gaze, grinning brightly at the woman who gave birth to her.

“Agh,” Vega sighed, covering her eyes with her hand.

“Don’t drink too much,” her Aunt muttered. “You’re just like your father, you tend to get quite acidic when you have too many cups of coffee…”

“Well,” the younger woman exclaimed, leaning nearer her Aunt, whispering. “It’s quite a relief he’s not having those awful acid refluxes anymore…”

Her aunt nodded, smiling at the visage of her younger brother – Vega’s father, laughing at the jokes her “Best Man” was currently cracking at the table, impressing even her often sarcastic brother who was almost in pieces in the sidelines. “Your father has improved over the two years, Vey,” her aunt commented. “It’s such a relief, considering we were so afraid that his little stroke back then might have had him deteriorate over the years… we’re glad that it turned out the other way.”

The younger woman smiled, a smile of relief she hasn’t shown for quite a while as she looked down at her purse. She suddenly remembered the first time she came home from London, and the panic she had to go through because of the family crisis at hand…

This time may not be so different, but despite the pain she carried with her from London, it seemed to be healed right away with the presence of her family… and that little surprise that was sitting from her a table away… even if his presence is a completely baffling mystery to her, causing her heart to ache every time she questions it…

But as she watched Thomas sitting there, seemingly telling an exciting story, Vega decided to just stay still and quiet and pretend that his presence didn’t bother her at all. After all, it’s a wonderful day for her family… and it’s what she has always wanted…

All of a sudden, there was another questioned asked, and Tom found himself looking across the table at her again… before looking down and _blushing._

Vega watched it all, aghast; before crushing a nail between her canines again, making sure that she did it out of her Best Man’s line of view, only to turn face to face with her Aunt who used to scold and reprimand her as a child whenever she was being unrefined and rowdy on the table – like what she was doing at that exact moment.

Quickly pulling the finger out of her mouth, Vega was about to sigh when –

“Let me ask you a question, _hija_ ,” her Aunt suddenly exclaimed, placing a hand on her arm, squeezing it. “That handsome young man over there –“ she gestured to the sore thumb that stuck out in the middle of a family gathering of Asians. “Are you quite sure he’s the Best Man?”

Completely baffled by the question, Vega’s need to suddenly bite her fingers and ruin her nails disappeared as she straightened up and raised an eyebrow at her reserved _Tita_.

“Yes he is,” she clarified, quickly shooting a subtle glance at the man who was now displaying his fine set of teeth while laughing at a comment her father dropped. “I personally asked him to be my Best Man…” Leaning back on her chair, as her anxiety kicked back in, as she nervously watched her mother push the container of rice cakes towards her British Best-Friend, asking him to partake some of the native pastries from Vega’s home country… to which Tom does not hesitate at all as he plucks a sugar-coated piece and pops it in his mouth, raising his eyebrows in amusement.

Turning to her aunt, Vega inquires, “Why do you ask, _Tita_?”

To her surprise, Evelynne Guerrero-Plata just snickers, before catching herself in the act – as she composed herself and cleared her throat. “It’s just that whenever he turns to smile at your direction, it seems as if he smiles like the groom…”

As much as she tried to restrain herself, the shock and the violent reaction just emanated out of the woman’s body as she slowly turned to her Aunt who was as seasoned and experienced at her age of 71 (despite looking young and very regal), as she dropped her jaw and furrowed her eyebrows at her. “ _Tita_ –“

It infuriated Vega even further how her Aunt just managed to squeeze her arm before releasing it, as she got up from her chair. “You’ll come around, darling –“

“But _Tita_ –“

Vega suddenly felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise when she heard her mother call out her full name from the table she wished she could avoid.

 

 

***

 

Even at twenty-seven years of age, Vega found herself walking over to her parents table and nervously doing that traditional gesture her countrymen often does to elders for respect: bringing their knuckles to her forehead.

Giving her father a kiss on the cheek afterwards, she was secretly pleased how her parents were still happy to see her, despite the fact that she literally found herself escaping to other tables just so she wouldn’t have to face that one man _she couldn’t read at that very moment_. Ignoring that big cheesy grin on her brother and sister-in-law’s faces, Vega found herself carrying Seth onto her lap when the child suddenly threw himself at her.

“About time you joined us,” her father exclaimed, the twinkle in his eye clearly causing Vega to smile at him sheepishly, avoiding another grin from across the table – even if that grin was currently for her older brother who was talking with her _theoretical_ older brother about the film industry and his own experience with script writing.

“Yeah,” his daughter exclaimed, a hand still on her father’s arm – ignoring the suggestive smile on her mother’s face, before she turned to tease the Englishman sitting across her. “I think I had to explain over and over again why the Wedding was called off, how I dealt with Rebecca, and if I’d ever forgive Seb…” She winced, ignoring the way her brother and Thomas quieted down – listening to what she had to say. “It’s like I’m at a funeral, explain why my husband had to die over and over again –“

“Please,” she heard her biological older brother from across the table, rolling his eyes as he ran a hand through his short, clipped black hair. “That git never became your husband, and not to mention that he’s a testament to your bad taste in men –“

Vega found herself dropping her jaw at her delirious _Kuya_ , ignoring the snickering coming from his newfound friend that was happily watching the entire exchange beside him.

“Let’s just hope that _the next_ man who’d give you a ring would break that awful streak,” Paul exclaimed, waggling his eyebrows, making his sister feel three times weaker considering _who_ was present at that table that very moment, who can hear this _very_ discussion.

It has always been like this. Paul always picked on his baby sister Vega, considering that he is 7 years older than her, teasing and making her squeal until she cries, claiming that he’s just “training her for the school bullies” whenever their mother would berate him for distressing his younger sibling. No wonder Vega could harp and send witty hits at her _pretend_ older brother, sometimes making it sound sarcastic than whatever sassy retort Tom could ever deliver.

“Excuse me,” Vega shot back, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. “If you had not shut your trap like what YOU’RE NOT DOING NOW, then I wouldn’t have probably tried to marry that asshole in the first place –“

“Well I did to but you were too blind and deaf to even hear me –“

“Now this is the best time to SHUT YOUR TRAP –“

“Come on you two, you haven’t seen each other for a year and you’re both fighting again,” Ada Guererro then hissed at her two comically warring children, her oldest son trying to hide a snicker while his sister made faces at him from across the table, as if they were like six and ten all over again.

“Has it always been like this,” Paul almost jumped when the deep-voiced man beside him suddenly whispered a question.

“You have no idea,” Paul said with an evil grin, completely savoring the murderous look from his baby sister across the table, as she found her talking to the one man she didn’t want him to talk to – at least not when _she’s not ready to see him talking to Tom_. After all, she has an issue to settle with the man –

“Oh, I think I do,” Tom whispered back with a flair of mischief, his lips curving into a smile as the woman in front of him turned her head to face him, a glare emanating from her eyes.

But despite this mental battle about to start between the two Londoners, Vega’s father suddenly turned to his annoyed-looking only daughter. “Well your brother has a point –“ her father started, causing Vega to turn to the parent who used to always be on her side. “Your Mom and I had doubts about him but we were afraid to tell you since you were so happy…”

“Dad…” the youngest in the group, save for the naughty five-year-old boy making faces at the newcomer. “You should have told me…”

“We didn’t know how to,” her father said. “Considering that his parents weren’t really that friendly with us, and we were noticing how he tended to hang around with Becca and her ex-boyfriend more than you during the early days – but then you were buried in work at that time… You’re too stubborn sometimes, Star.” The old man with the greying hair then turned to smile at the newcomer whom they met only a few days ago. “If it wasn’t for Tom here who slugged your useless boyfriend in the face, then you wouldn’t have woken up –“

For the first time during the entire exchange, ever since he marched into the room and since Vega landed in Melbourne… she felt the need to cut her silence as she turned to address the man she swore not to talk to till things have settled down – his heart and hers, and said, “Y-You told them what happened at the Chateau –“

Tom was in the middle of nodding, when he suddenly felt like jumping when Vega’s mother slipped a hand around his arm, causing him to blush again for no reason.

“You don’t seem to be happy about that Star,” her mother subtly chastised her, completely proving how unusually uncomfortable Vega was in Tom’s presence. After all, she was still trying not to grit her teeth, considering that she was still completely baffled to why the man would go lengths to be here when three months ago he clearly stated that he doesn’t want to do anything with her… “But I am really pleased and thankful that you have a guardian angel with you the entire time in London when we couldn’t be there for you!”

Even the tender smile that appeared on Thomas’ face after hearing her mother’s words baffled her –

She couldn’t believe that this was the same man who drunkenly rejected her feelings back in London, leaving her in pieces and causing her to isolate herself from him for a quarter of a year…

And yet here he was, eating with her folks, sharing the native food her relatives requested for, and playing adorably with her nephew…

“Could you even believe it?” Her mother continued, as she held onto her best-friend’s muscular arm. “Tom here flew in two days before, meeting with us and setting up the reservations with Crowne personnel just so he can properly book this place! You owe him quite a lot, _anak!_ ”

A few months ago, she would have probably comically made a face, stuck out her tongue, and even rolled her eyes at the man.

But Vega could only shoot him a calculating look, laced with a bit of uncertainty, and a bit of sadness…

“Thank you,” she just said plainly, forcing a small smile to appear on the side of her mouth, just for good measure… and so not to humiliate the man she once considered her best friend (and she still does) in front of her parents.

It didn’t comfort Vega with how the man managed to smile at her – the same kind of smile he’d shoot in her direction if she ever screamed at him, called him names, or stuck her tongue out at him. That intoxicating smile that was completely genuine, laced with a bit of mischief and a hint of longing…

“You’re always welcome, Vega Adelie,” he whispered, making the woman blink and drop her gaze, ignoring how her parents launched into a whole new discussion.

 

 

 

***

 

 

Vega swore that this was the longest family reunion ever. And the most painstaking too…

She had to stand there and watch two of her warring, competing aunts who are trying to prove that one is the better cook; as they turned to the Englishman who was currently the star of the entire party, asking him to sample deserts he has never tried before.

Considering that the man was being offered various sweets from the caramel-covered _leche flan_ pudding to the chocolate porridge called _champorado_ ; Tom didn’t seem to mind tasting all of them as he was clearly all smiles and amusement as he went from one dish to another.

Once again surrounded by her cousins as the elders convened on the bigger table in what was supposed to be Garden Room 1, Vega was silently watching her sister-in-law converse with her best-friend from London as they played with the unusually hyper Seth who found a new friend from her Chicago-based niece Lola who was only three years old… when a bunch of giggling teenagers about her started asking questions that literally made her palm her face.

“Come on _Ate_ Vega –“

“We need to know –“

“It’s better to hear it from you than the tabloids –“

“I’m pretty sure that my classmate would envy me once I hold this information –“

“—but is Tom Hiddleston single?”

 Vega had now lifted her face from her palm and was shaking her head, initially making her cousins believe that the answer was no, causing the whole horde of them surrounding her – ten in all – to groan in disappointment as their elder cousin raised a hand and exclaimed, “Seriously, I’m not answering that ridiculous question, and you better go ask him yourself –“

“I think I heard my name.”

The nervous giggles and whispers that occurred around her had completely informed Vega that the main topic was standing right behind her.

The discomfort on Vega’s face only grew upon seeing that playful smug on her Best Man’s face as he pulled up a chair and sat right behind her, in full view of the excited girls, subtly winking at her before sitting on the chair, facing the back rest as he propped his crossed arms on the tip. “On _that_ topic of being taken or not –“

Vega swirled her head to look at the expressions etched on her cousins’ faces, only to see how they were waiting with bated breath.

“I am,” he raised his hands, showing them his open palms. “I am actually single…”

Amused _oooohs_ and _aaahhh_ s emerged from the group of women – excluding the one woman sitting in front of him with a calculating look, seemingly unhappy to have him sitting a chair away from her.

“But,” he started, raising a finger. “I wish I wasn’t –“

Vega quickly dropped her gaze, not wanting to completely see that expression on his face as shrill giggling erupted from her younger cousins, some of them breaking into whispers, as they blushed and bit their lips at the way the Hollywood Actor grinned at them – only for those blue eyes to pry and strain to see the expression on the face of the girl sitting in front of him…

But then, the follow-up questions would have been enough for Vega to act like his publicist – a stricter and infuriated Luke Windsor –

“What is your type then, Tom?”

“Do you really like brunettes?”

“Fancy anyone in the vicinity –“

“Would you go after an Asian girl, sir?”

“Well,” the man answered the question right away to shove dirt in the flames. “The truth is, I’m not really looking for anyone right now –“

Then came the splutter of groans once again, causing Vega to palm her face once more.

“—But, I would definitely settle for a Guerrero gal.” The smile on Tom’s face was intoxicating enough that Vega didn’t have to turn around to see it. And unusually, it make her feel so sick to the stomach considering all she could see was the way her younger relatives started to freak, her younger male cousins rolling their eyes in the corner where they were discussing Mass Effect 3, and some of her Aunts not involved in the convening and was listening to the entire conversation considering the British Actor, were whispering excitedly as well.

“But I’m not a Guererro at all, Tom –“ called out her younger cousin Rose who was part of the clan where her father’s younger sister Sol married into. “I’m a Reyes!”

“Well,” The Englishman corrected himself as-a-matter-of-factly, crossing his arms. “Guerrero-Reyes girls then –“

As shrill giggling and laughter filled the air, Vega knew that only Mal (who happened to be sitting in front of her) who was biting her lip, trying not to laugh at how her cousin was currently tormenting herself… But of course, who wouldn’t torment themselves if you were in Vega’s place?

The man whom you confessed your love to – the same man who said that you were both “too broken”, the man who sent you into hiding because you didn’t want to put pressure on him, the same man who still made your heart beat and bleed for ninety days since you were dying to see him, tell him how you felt, and let him know how much you love him – but you can’t because you didn’t want to force him into anything… _was currently sitting behind you, cracking these jokes, making your beloved cousins giggle and blush as if he knew them for a long time…_

Unable to restrain her emotions, the least Vega could do was to slowly turn around and give Tom something she has never given him before – a half-hearted glare, with those big brown eyes seemingly questioning him “ _What are you doing? What are you doing here? Why are you even here?_ ” Everything she could scream, everything she has screamed, and all he pain she has been hiding for two years – she tried to convey that through her eyes to no avail –

And amidst all that A+ projection that would have probably earned her a spot in the Royal Academy of the Arts, all Tom did was to smile at her – _warmly_.

That was when Vega lost her filter for a moment _and rolled her eyes_ as she turned around, the gesture visible to both Tom and her slew of cousins.

The laughter of her younger cousins were intoxicating, and it was followed by that flawless English accented voice that went, “What?!”

“Stop making promises you can’t keep –“ Vega said with a bit of flair in her voice, subtly winking at her cousin Rose who couldn’t stop giggling.

“I beg your pardon –“

Vega swirled her head, showing a bit of emotion through her eyes as she glared at the man whom she thought would have been the _best_ Best Man for her… “Nothing,” she shot back, her lips pursing, recording in her memory how lost and confused Tom’s face looked, despite the fact that a small smile was itching to reveal itself from the side of his mouth – _and this terrified Vega_.

“Oh come on,” he teased in that voice she thought she’d never hear again, considering the hurtful looks he sent her way that morning when it was raining in London. “It’s just a little joke between friends,” he started, his smile completely melting upon seeing the woman turn about her chair – a murderous and offended look on her face. “ _Old_ friends,” he suddenly had to add.

The way Vega dropped her jaw and glared at him, tears almost pooling in those dark chocolate eyes was the most she can do at that very moment when she has emotionally hostaged herself and refused to let out any more outburtsts considering that 1) the family isn’t aware of the complexity of her “friendship” with Tom, 2) she is surrounded by a bunch of giggling, gossipy, hormonal teenagers (you could include Tom considering his dramatic outbursts) and anything that can transpire between her and her “best-friend” could be misinterpreted as such.

And Vega was tired of being a victim to her emotional outbursts.

But what really caused her to somewhat _lose it_ was when Tom did the last thing she’d expect him to do – widen those blue eyes and pout his lips, resembling a horrible reminder of how much she loved golden retrievers when they beg her to adopt them outside pet shops.

Wrenching her lower lip to the left, she tore her eyes away from the man and quickly muttered, “ _Tangina, porket gwapo ka lang eh –_ “ in her native language, before turning around to cross her arms  -- and leave the table…

…causing all her cousins who heard it to break into loud, raucous laughter – startling even the elders at the other table. And this laughter continued even on, causing the baffled, lost-in-translation Englishman to sit there, red in the face, wondering if he just got humiliated by his best-friend in another language.

“What –“

Completely confused and at a loss, Tom turned to Vega’s other favorite cousin – Mallory, and asked, “Wh-what did she just say to me? Did she say something bad? Why wouldn’t you guys stop laughing?”

Catching her breath, Mal smiled at him and said, “She just told you to fuck off and stop, just because you’re so _handsome_ …”

For a moment, Tom felt offended – and it showed on his face.

But then it slowly dawned on him, considering how Vega tends to be so fucking defensive and violent when she’s slowly becoming fond of him – and little by a little, a small smile of relief appeared on the man’s face.

 

***

 

 

As much as she couldn’t wait for it to start – halfway through the reunion, Vega couldn’t wait for it to end… not because she couldn’t handle that _one guest_ she didn’t expect to be there, but she was so afraid of what she would do or say – considering that she wanted to push Tom against the wall, cry, and scream at his face for mocking her by just being there…

But then, it was sundown and the gathering has come to an end.

Standing with her parents, holding her little nephew’s hand in her right, Vega found herself personally thanking all of the cousins, aunts, and uncles who showed up for that Grand Reunion. Exchanging kisses, words of comfort, acknowledgement and love – she barely noticed how Seth managed to wriggle his way out of her grasp to run behind him, past the entrance of the hotel to the door, hugging his newfound Frost Giant Friend who promised that “he will be there for him as long as Seth will love his Aunt Vega”, to which the child just nodded and hugged him back, before being placed back down on his feet.

While Vega was busy saying goodbye to those cousins that she hasn’t seen for a decade, promising to take them on a tour on the Twelve Apostles Beach during their short stay in Australia, her parents managed to catch Thomas before he disappeared in the sidelines.

“You do know that this grand party would last for a few more days,” Ada told him, looking up, considering that she also has her daughter’s height. “Won’t you stay?”

A softer, smaller version of that infectious laugh escaped Tom’s lips as he slipped his hands into his pockets, wondering why he had this urge to please this particular woman. Finding out the reason why as he smiled to himself, he then found himself looking at Ada’s daughter who was cooing at her three-year-old niece in her arms, who shared the same eyes as her, making you believe that the child could be her daughter if you didn’t know how they were related.

“Well,” he suddenly exclaimed, subtly reverting his eyes back at the older woman who was all smiles at him. “I do have a few things on my agenda, but you know I’d definitely try…”

“Oh come on”, Ada Guererro teased the tall Englishman. “ _She’ll_ definitely be pleased if you do show up again…”

Hiding a small grin as he looked down, seemingly contemplating things… “I hope so,” he just finished quietly, before extending his hand towards the woman for a handshake. However, as simple and straightforward as her daughter, Ada shook her head and opened her arms – taking the big guy in for a hug.

Luckily, Vega was so busy laughing with her cousins to even notice this exchange.

Once the guests have went off to their respective stay-ins, (with her Aunt Marjorie and Uncle Adam’s family staying over at her parents), Vega found herself turning to her folks who smiled at her, admiring at how their daughter grew up to be the grateful and mature woman that she is right now.

“We may be having dimsum at the Dragonboat Restaurant for dinner before we go home,” her mother told her. “You can go sleep at your _Kuya’s_ or at our house at Kensington, Star. You don’t have to go back to your flat…”

For some reason, Vega felt like looking around, before saying, “I… I’ll try to make it at the Dragonboat Restaurant, mom. It’s along Little Bourke isn’t it –“

“Why? Aren’t you coming with us –“ her mom inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“Well,” the woman exclaimed, hands getting a bit clammy as she held her mother’s. “There are a few things I need to fix, and I was wishing I could settle them –“

Vega had barely finished her sentence when she had to stop, considering the sheepish smile her brother was wearing as he held Seth’s hand, and the knowing smiles her father and her mother was wearing. “What?” she whined at her folks, suddenly getting defensive for _no reason_ at all…

“Go get him, Star,” her mother whispered, giving the aghast girl a kiss on the cheek, before stepping off the curb.

“What –“

“As if we didn’t notice,” her father chuckled.

“I don’t know –“

“Little Bourke, 7:30pm, _Star!_ ” her brother exclaimed as the family started to walk away towards the parking lot exit where their ride is waiting. “Though we don’t mind if you don’t show up –“

“Come on, guys!” Vega called out… “Guys?”

With her family chuckling about, walking away from her, Vega knew that she couldn’t reason her way out of that – nor could she deny the plan that was brewing in her head.

But the first thing she did when her family was out of her sight, was to look around – possibly figure out where that _one person_ had disappeared to.Seeing that there was no trace of a six footer being picked up by a car or was heading for the trams, Vega managed that her next plan of action was to bolt for the hotel entrance once more.

Quickly looking at the content of the hall, the couches surrounding the centerpiece of the lobby, people filing in at the bar – Vega found herself scanning wildly _for that one person she swore she was looking for_ as she moved fast the moment she knew that they were nowhere to be found – almost scampering for the Crowne Plaza’s grand staircase to make her movements fast as she skipped one or two stairs on the way up.

Whipping out her phone, she started dialing a number she hasn’t touched for a very long time, as she started passing through the halls of the five-star establishment, trying to look for a familiar face as the guests and the number of people began to thin the moment she got deeper and deeper through the winding halls, making her way back to the Garden Rooms…

“Come on,” she whispered, eyes looking frantic as she peeked into empty function rooms she passed by. “Pick up –“

She had barely made it into the first of the Garden Rooms, bumping into several men in black bowties who were probably cleaning up the area where she just spent with her extended family, making Vega feel even more anxious about not finding _him_ when the room they just occupied was already being evacuated –

“Please, please,” she whispered under her breath as she peeked in the first Garden Room with its dividing walls already closed, phone still dialing, pressed against her ear.

She had barely peeked in the second room, when she heard that _one familiar tune_ that brought back too many haunting memories for her to even use it as a ringtone again –

 

_The big screens, the plastic-made dreams_

_Say you don't want it, say you don't want it_

_It's our world, the picture-book girls_

_Say you don't want it, say you don't want it_

_Don't you ask me if it's love, my dear_

_Love don't really mean a thing 'round here_

_The fake scenes the plastic-made dreams_

_Say you don't want it, say you don't want it_

 

 

That’s when she saw him, sitting calmly at one of the unoccupied tables – dirty plates left about him, with all the utensils in disarray. He was all alone, sitting silently in those ridiculously sharp black slacks he wears during events, still clad in that minty-fresh light blue dress shirt that he had been wearing all day – albeit wrinkled with the way her cousins hugged him… or how her little nephew pulled at his collar when they were playing Norse Gods in the hallway…

But with how peaceful he looked and how he blew on the steam rising from his cup of tea… Suddenly, all the pain and confusion began to drown Vega once more as she couldn’t deny how she started to tear up when she hung up on the call – as the familiar song by _One Night Only_ came to an abrupt halt, causing the man to look up from his tea… _and smile at her._

“Good,” Tom whispered, those eyes having a different sparkle of blue as he eyed her from head to toe. “You’re here. I wanted to talk to you.”

Clutching the iPhone hard in one hand, Vega couldn’t look at him.

“We could have talked earlier –“

“I wanted to talk to you,” he reiterated, that sunny demeanor suddenly gone from his face. “ _Alone_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Songs:** Here we come to witness the return of One Night Only’s “Say You Don’t Want It” that is iconic for “A Blind Conversation”.
> 
>  **Translation:** Vega specifically said, “ _Tangina, porket gwapo ka lang eh_ ” in defense of Tom’s adorable emotional blackmailing in front of her cousins – to which all understood. “ _Tangina_ ” is actually a Tagalog Curse (please don’t let me explain it, there may be little ones here – AND MY FILIPINO READERS, PLEASE STOP LAUGHING AT ME); and “ _Porket gwapo ka lang_ ” translates as how Mal said it – “ ** _Just because you’re handsome_** ”. Vega literally told Tom to fuck off just because he’s adorable. How sweet.


	57. None Left to Protest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conversation everyone has been waiting for.  
> Oh, and a little extra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suggest that you listen to Muse’s “Madness” while reading this chapter.

It felt like that one time at the Nexus Convention, when she thought she went too far with a joke, and ended up following Luke Windsor down a secret VIP area towards a makeshift bar at the end of the hall… She was nervous, she was jittery, and she felt like she has offended someone…

It was just like that exact same moment.

But there was something more painful to this than how it was before…  With how she followed Thomas, looking at his broad shoulders as he walked through this posh bar located in one of the obscure floors of the Crowne Plaza that wasn’t often frequented by guests and tourists, Vega felt like a child about to take a lashing from an angry parent she loved so much… not to mention that the scars and bruises she was hiding underneath her clothes was still aching and bleeding…

Despite the awful tension in the air as Tom casually gestured to a table that was set only for two people at the end of the room by the window, with two wide leather couch seats facing each other; the man still managed to smile at the barkeep as he raised two fingers, prompting the waiter to bring over the respective number of menus.

“I’ll have what he’s having,” Vega said quietly, as she pushed the menu away, trying not to sound too comfortable or dare look into his eyes.

“Are you quite sure?” Who knows how Tom has strained not to add a term of endearment to the end of that sentence. “I’m going for something that packs quite a punch –“

“Depends,” she said in a soft, choked voice. “Is there a specific reason why you want it _hard_? Or is it maybe because you need it to numb some emotion you don’t want to feel –“

There it was again, the pained look with the parted lips as he kept his eyes closed. It used to irritate Vega a lot whenever he would do that, knowing that he’d break into another heartbreaking spiel about how much he wanted her and how much she didn’t want him – but this time, she knows the tables have been turned. And that just breaks her.

“Vega –“

The girl then ignored him, trying so hard not to look into those blue eyes as she was scared of what she might see, just like what she saw before… and mostly she was afraid that she may project something that may drive him away again, considering how she tends to do that most of the time…

Calming herself down as she turned to smile at the waiter who was standing there patiently the entire time, she took the menu again and flipped a few pages. “Ye,” she started, in that defensive Australian slang once more. “I’ll have the Champagne please.”

When the waiter left, Vega found herself staring at her purse, completely ignoring the way the man across her was trying to get her attention – trying to get her to look at him, when clearly she’s completely confused and in a haze, wondering if that confrontation she had with him months ago even happened or he just woke up and decided to turn up at her family gathering and turn her world upside down again as a part of an evil joke –

But much to her chagrin, the man just sighed as he kept quiet, looking out the window, bringing his hands together as he inspected the glowing lights in the darkening Melbourne skyline.

“It –“ Vega didn’t need the courage to speak anymore. She was tired of beating around the bush, waiting for him to speak – and waiting for her own heart to push her mouth to move. She was also sick of just waiting, just waiting for her own resolve to kick in, for her own realization to envelop her, before she does something… only to discover that everything was taken away from her. This time, she had to be ahead of herself. “It was my mother, isn’t it?”

Tom finally found himself looking at her, after the waiter has returned with their orders, a bit of comfort spreading on his face, as he sat there wondering when she’d finally say something, or if he had to be the one to speak up – as he always did. But considering the newfound courage from the woman, he realized that maybe… things will be different this time around.

“She asked you to do this, didn’t she?” Vega inquired, bitterness in her voice, not even touching the glass of champagne she asked for. “Ask you to help her with the family gathering in replacement of the ‘wedding’…” She made a face, seemingly disagreeing with it. “But you were on a press junket, you had a line of interviews to do in Sydney and Canberra…” she gritted her teeth. “You didn’t have to do this –“

The man found himself pressing his thumb against his lips, his tender expression reverting to something business-like, as he stretched on his side of the leather couch, sighing to himself.

“I am the Best Man,” Tom said as-as-a-matter-of-factly, straightening his dress shirt. “Even if there is no groom to – bless the bastard’s soul – but I will still do my duties to the Bride –“

A painful look spread on Vega’s face, as she struggled to say the words in the most kindest, gentlest way possible – aware of how fucking violent and harsh she tends to be. And she wanted to. At that moment, she definitely wanted to.

But this was Tom…

She didn’t want to create the same kind of damage as before…

Not then when she thought she had her hopes up…

“There is no wedding that’s going to happen, Tom,” she whispered. “I am not even a Bride anymore.” For the first time, Vega looked up at him, eyes tearing up a bit. “You don’t need to be kind to me.”

How Tom managed to stay seated there with a vacant expression terrified her.

“I want to be.”

The face Vega made was too distorted and plagued with discomfort and confusion, as she dropped her jaw and winced, almost as if she was in pain – which she was. “But,” she started, looking completely discombobulated. “You told me that you didn’t want anything to do with me –“

Taking a deep breath, the man opened his mouth to speak – “Look, Vey, I’m sorry –“

“Please,” this time it was Vega begging, her emotions filled with pain completely seeping through her expressions. “Let me at least finish this time.”

The man straightened his shoulders and looked at her with those azure eyes, seemingly asking her to continue, that she has the floor, as he seemingly bit on his tongue, staying still and silent as he leaned back on his chair.

“I completely respect what you have told me months ago,” Vega whispered, her voice suddenly frogging up her throat. “I understand where you’re coming from and I accept your decision… But please,” she found herself begging. “Please don’t base this –“ she suddenly gestured up in the air. “– _Friendship_ on pity. You don’t need to be kind to me, you don’t need to put up appearances because it will hurt even more –“

“Vega,” the depth in his voice and the way he leaned towards her as she had to stop when she found his hand smoothing its way over hers, as he reached out and touched her. “I don’t want to pity you.”

The girl looked up at him to realize that there were tears in her eyes.

“That is the last thing I want to give you,” he whispered, as he looked away. “And I would like to apologize with how I behaved that morning when you sought me out,” he gritted his teeth. “I was intoxicated for the most part, and I hadn’t really sobered up when you turned up at my door. I know I may have said such painful things…” He sighed. “And I regret them dearly.”

Vega pursed her lips and looked away. They were too painful indeed.

“And I regret not chasing after you when you ran out my door that day you came to say those things I’ve always wanted to hear,” he whispered as he bravely turned to look at her, suddenly drowning her with the same intensity of emotions he first displayed – before that encounter at his flat, before the Wedding Rehearsal, before what happened between them after the Hen’s Do – _before anything_.

In fact, Vega found herself backing off a bit when she recognized this Tom as someone different… He was bitter alright, but he was apologetic. But there was something about him, a whole new aura, a refreshing ego that emanated from him that seemed to be comparable to the proud and happy man who marched beside her that evening when they first watched a play together, and she was dressed in that beautiful blue Trenton gown he bought for her…

This Thomas who was holding her hand, slowly entangling his fingers around hers, was a changed man. And it baffled her.

“Y-You said that there was no hope –“ Vega questioned him, completely at a loss with the complete turnabout he was displaying.

“If I had one thing I completely regret,” he whispered, completely looking regretful. “It is that I did lose hope…” The way his thumb moved across her knuckles made her shiver. “But despite that, if someone comes over and provides you the sunlight you are missing, it can fill up an empty hole where there is none.” He gently smiled at the girl who was overwhelmed with how things were slowly looking towards her favor…

“You gave me back that hope, Vega,” he whispered, still beaming at her. “Thank you.”

The girl looked away, still completely at a loss with what was happening. That suddenly explained the smiles, the gentle conversations, the friendly demeanor, and the closeness with her family… She looked up at him, his lips parted, seemingly trying to read her – with those eyes completely pleading, begging for her to just stand up and embrace him –

“I have lost hope,” she whispered, tears falling down her face now. “It’s been three months, there was no contact, no attempt, no voice – and I lost hope –“

Tom’s face fell now, as his other hand flew right over his, as they both clutched on Vega’s clammy hands. “Oh darling, I’m sorry –“

A breathy gasp escaped Vega as she looked at him, his touch completely surprising her.

“Y-You said we were too broken,” she began to stutter, amidst the shower of tears that was on her face. “You s-said –“

His voice seemed frantic now, as his clutch tightened around her hands. “Vega, don’t listen to what I said before – forget it, erase it! I was drunk, I was hopeless! I shouldn’t have said any of those things to you –“

Vega was sobbing now.

“How can I fix something that’s too broken –“

Tom was literally almost leaning over the table now just to reach her, ignoring the patrons who were starting to turn their heads in their direction, due to the small sobs Vega was emitting, only to look away when they find them intimately bent on each other.

“Vega,” he whispered. “ _We_ can always fix something that’s broken…” He consoled her. “After all,” he whispered in a voice that started to break… “I’d rather be broken than be without you…”

That was when a violent sob escaped the girl, and her hand flew to her cheek, clutching his hand that cupped her face.

Eyes shut tight now, Vega began to cry these tears that were mingled of frustration and relief, as all the pain she kept inside of her, that pain she promised not to cry over, started to flow after three months; as she completely did not notice how Tom rose from his seat without taking his hands off her, and fitted himself on the small space beside her, as he wrapped his hands around the sobbing girl, burying his face in her hair as he always loved doing so. Much to his own relief, he found her clutching his arm and returning the embrace in her own way, as she buried her eyes against his sleeve – drenching it with her tears.

“You went through that same pain I went through,” he whispered. “I didn’t want you to go through it, I wouldn’t let you go through it –“ His own voice began to break. “I couldn’t let you hurt anymore, love…” He closed his eyes.

“I-I’m sorry…” she said in a muffled voice, her voice lost against how she was pressed against him. “I d-didn’t want to h-hurt y-you – I never wanted to… I just w-wanted you b-back –“ She paused to take a deep gasp. “I j-just wanted a s-second ch-chance –“

“Oh darling,” he whispered against her hair now. “I’d give you that chance. I’d give you that _second_ chance. I’d give you over a thousand second chances. I’d give you that one thing you wouldn’t give me – in hopes that I would be given the chance of happiness too…”

Vega then calmed down upon hearing this…

And slowly, her sobs subsided…

And with that, she began to catch her breath.

 

“ _I love you_.”

 

Tom’s eyes flew open upon hearing that small voice within his arms, whispering those precious three words. “ _I’m sorry… I just love you so much.”_

 

She slowly lifted her head to face him – as he found himself looking at the girl, with her messy wavy hair slowly being pulled back from its ponytail, her trenchcoat wrinkled, and her swollen red eyes looking at him without any trace of uncertainty or fear. For once, he heard those three words loud and clear, and he was thankful that he was sober – and despite her voice being so small and choked up, he never realized how powerful her words were.

 

“ _I’m sorry… I took so long._ ”

 

His eyes softened upon hearing those exact words he never thought he’d hear from her.

He then felt his eyes flutter closed as he gently parted his lips and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, feeling her eyebrows brush against his two-day stubble as she closed hers as well. Without hesitating, he moved downwards to set a gentle kiss on her tear-stained cheeks as well, not forgetting to lift his head as he moved over her face to place another kiss on her other cheek…

And to top it all off, he left a small smack on the tip of her nose, causing her to blink after he did so, as she looked up with those sleepy swollen eyes at his half-lidded blue ones, who seemingly looked softly as her… as if to ask her consent…

But then he realized, this time, it wasn’t needed.

With that he gently slanted his face and covered his lips with hers – as she felt her eyebrows raise and her face lose the tension of the cry she was having earlier…

And for a moment, they both finally had peace.

But the kiss… it was a whole new experience.

It wasn’t as rough or surprising like when he first kissed her on that couch in his flat, that same flat that holds so many mixed memories for the two of them. It wasn’t awkward or drowned out with passion like the last time, nor was it that half-angry, half-frustrated kisses they’ve been sharing for the past year that lead to something else…

Everything was different, and yet this kiss – _this kiss had a little bit of everything in it_.

But if there was one thing for sure, it reminded them of the first time. There was something about it that was just like the first time… There was something so refreshing, something so pure, something deeper than passion or love itself – And that was when Vega realized what it was as she came up for air before sinking her lips once more against his, as she furrowed her eyebrows, completely losing herself in that moment of redemption as she realized that _finally_ , she feels the same way as he does and _it doesn’t hurt or complicate things the way they used to._

 _Because for once, she felt brave_.

No – this time, she _was brave_.

And Thomas felt it too as his own eyes began to pool with tears, the gesture getting grander with the soft and sweet way he wrapped his hands around her, the way his shoulders lost their tension as her hands settled on them, and for once he could taste it in her lips how she completely was pushing aside all her inhibitions, all her guards, and all her fears – as she simply showed him her true self that she has been hiding for so long… The truth of how much she needed him…

And as their breaths mingled despite the kiss slowly getting rougher, passionate, and desperate… as Vega started to turn her head to take him in deeper, feel every curve of his mouth, as if she yearned for it, needed it, and wanted it for so long… Still this surprised Tom, as he kissed her back with much ardor, completely appreciating the fact of how he was finally being loved the way he always wanted her to love him back –

Running a hand from the small of her back to the top of her head, his fingers tracing the strands of her hair as he tilted his head as well to allow his lips to gently glide against hers and have himself be intoxicated with the soft sweet taste of her lower lip that managed to have themselves stuck in his mouth, caught against his teeth… He gently ended the kiss with a smack, only to find her face strained as she looked up at him, mourning the end of the contact, wanting to know him more, yearning to feel him more…

And just looking at her this way made him sigh… a happy sound escaping his chest as he nudged her nose with his.

“ _Shall we take this somewhere more private?_ ”

His voice was low, almost pleading, as he felt the girl sink her fingernails against the surface of his dress shirt, her desire lighting up those dark brown eyes, and a gentle longing forming on those sweet lips, reminding him again why he suddenly felt like running to Melbourne the moment he knew she was about to fly in.

She lifted her gaze up, from those lips she had just been kissing, as she bravely looked into those eyes she always feared to gape at, as Thomas felt his heart jump with all the electricity brought about this new emotion that was emanating from the woman’s eyes – as he suddenly felt unusually thrilled by what she was about to do, or say.

“ _Yes_ ,” Vega heaved with a whisper, as she became aware of how they weren’t alone at that exact moment… despite both their temperatures rising. “ _Please_.”

 

 

***

 

 

She felt as if she was dreaming. Was she?

It always felt like a haze when she’s with him… this time it’s much stronger. Just like how they entered the bar, she was looking at his back – following him… For a change, she found herself following him, considering that he was the one who kept chasing after her. For once, she found herself looking at his back, not knowing he’s going, not knowing where he’s taking her…

But there was something different this time around...

…since he took her by the hand.

Initially, she was following him up the stairs, trying to look obscure after they marched out of that private bar, considering that they were making quite a commotion on the other end – Vega sobbing, and then Tom passionately kissing her, they had to leave with their chins high up as if they didn’t care – but honestly, no one really noticed… or wanted to disturb that intimacy between them.

But the moment they reached this grand staircase on the lobby of the current floor that led to the elevators of the Crown Plaza suites, Vega found herself stopping in her tracks as she watched the man take a few steps on the stairs… before noticing that he wasn’t being followed, as he turned around, giving her a questioning look.

But little does Tom know how Vega was looking up at him in awe, seeing him now in a completely different light, as she observed how he seemed to glow despite the dim mood of the lobby, how his curls seemed to be more sunnier with that gold-tinged glow, and how his blue eyes seem to sparkle even more now than she last even dared to look deep within it…

He took a step down, tilting his head as he tried to get her attention… considering that it seemed as if she was in a trance…

“Darling,” he whispered, as the hand that cupped her cheek snapped her out of her thoughts, those tear-stained eyes seemingly widening upon feeling the warmth that was emanating from his touch… “Is something the matter?”

He bit his lip upon seeing Vega part her lips in awe, as she brought up a hand to cup his, her touch making his heart melt. “Saw something you liked?” He slightly teased, those blue eyes sparkling as he moved closer to her, tempted to just sweep her in his arms and haul her off to his hotel suite as if she was his bride.

“Yes _of course_ ,” she uttered softly with much emphasis to the last line, as she ignored the way he tenderly brushed the tear stains still on her cheeks. “But – it wasn’t what I was thinking about,” she exclaimed as she watched Tom furrow his eyebrows, seemingly confused.

Seeing that baffled expression on his face, suddenly remembering how anxious Tom always seem to be and they are still on sensitive territory when it comes to discussing their feelings _and their current status that was still “under construction”_ , Vega found herself leaning into his hand, almost tilting it so she can kiss his palm as she whispered…

“I just remembered how much you kept on talking about falling in love with a star that kept shooting out of view in your sky that you had to wait too long to see it…” Pain was definitely reflected in her voice with how she said it, _because she knew exactly who she was talking about_. And upon hearing this wonderful old reference to that rooftop experience they had two years ago that he strained to forget, Tom suddenly found himself smiling through his own teary eyes as he realized how much those memories were worth keeping now after everything…

“I…” she bit her lip. “I never got the chance to tell you about how a little girl fell in love with another star, all on her own…” She sighed, smiling up at him, completely reveling at how his eyes widened and how he parted his lips. “A star with so much light within _himself_ that his own brilliance made _him great_ and yet he couldn’t see it but he shined anyway… and the little girl never got to tell him how much _he inspired her to be who she was right now…_ ”

His heart skipping two beats at a time, he found himself stepping down and pressing his forehead against hers, as both their eyes fluttered closed, ignoring the world around them as everything just disappeared in the haze of true emotions and passions flowing about them…

For once, Tom felt as if this was the same pureness of feelings, the same love that he thought would have been possible that night when he took her to see a play.

But despite how things turned out and how destiny fixed itself out, he could vouch for the fact that their love, their bonds, are much stronger now than what it was that night – that night when he thought anything seemed possible… _and yet everything now is possible when your perfect love finally takes the baton you’ve been trying to offer her for two years and take the mile-long run with you._

“That is…” he breathed. “Just beautiful, Vega…” He opened his eyes and sweetly brushed his lips on her nose, causing the girl to smile underneath his touch. “Please,” he sighed against her skin. “Please tell me more about this…”

She pressed her lips against his ear and whispered, “Let me tell you that story in the most intimate way possible… if you’d allow me.”

There was a whole new fire to Tom’s eyes when he retracted from her embrace, upon taking her hand.

“ _How could I ever say no to that_ ,” he said in a deep and gravelly voice as a shadow of a dominant seemed to have appeared in his personality, as he gently tugged at her hand and prepared to make his way up the stairs, his eyes sparkling. “Come,” he called out to her… to which Vega obediently responded, taking her leave with him as she followed him up in the same haze…

 

 

***

 

 

Tom had nothing to offer Vega but sweet nothings on the ride in the lift, as he had to restrain himself from taking her then and there, making it seem like that unforgettable incident that happened between the two of them one weekend at the Way Headquarters.

However, the least he could do to quench his sensual thirst, was to steal a brief yet longing kiss from her lips every now and then, knowing that their affair that night would have to be more than the sexual fury he brought upon her… as circumstances now called for a deeper love, a more passionate affair, in which he would definitely take his time exploring her…

And with the way she kissed him back and bit those lips seemingly asking for more, he knew she was more than willing to consent with his intentions…

They found themselves stumbling in a classy yet quaint hotel suite, barely able to keep each other’s fingers – or faces, off each other… Compared to the previous glamorous perks he gets while travelling on the job, Thomas managed to secure something more modest to his liking – a decently-sized room that catered to at least one comfy couch and a wide-berthed bed.

But none of these was noticed by the two newfound lovers as they were more eager to explore each other… with how Tom managed to lift Vega off her feet, once in the privacy of his own suite, before falling with his back to the bed, with the supposedly shy and reserved girl lying on top of him, peppering him with kisses.

There were no inhibitions…

No precautions…

And Tom silently swore in his head that he’d take his time…

And give her the love she deserves…

Anything to stop her tears, her fears, and that uncertainty in her heart that has been long hammered by her own doubts…

But little does he know that Vega, the woman who felt like breaking down the day he found himself unable to reply to her own confession of love, the one woman he found too stubborn to give in to her own emotions… has greater plans in mind to prove that there is more within her than that scared little girl who quivers at the sight of true and pure emotion…

And he barely saw this as he graciously unwrapped her like a gift…

As he pulled down that zipper that ran from the side of her neck down her shoulder and through her left breast…

He found himself leaving a soft butterfly kiss on every inch of skin exposed…

From her neck…

To her hip…

Making sure to leave a moist spot on the mound of her breast –

Causing a glare from the woman, getting his hair pulled and devoured by those cherry tasting lips that may have been repressed for too long…

Little does Tom know, that at exact moment, that moment where Vega parted her lips and tugged at his beautiful blonde curls and hungrily pressed her waiting lips to his, causing him to emit a groan in her mouth as he hoisted her up in his lap and wrapped his arms around her almost-naked waist…

He had awakened the one thing he has always dreamed of…

Next thing he knew, she had gracefully undressed him as well with her curious hands, those fingers exploring every crevice, every hair on his chest and below his navel, tracing and memorizing the arc of his muscles and his pecs… Trying to find every single spot that makes his body squirm, trying to push every button that makes him scream…

And there he was, lying eagle spread on his own bed – with a scantily clad woman who was slowly becoming the epitome of innocence slowly melting into the sensual awakening, left only in her matching dark-blue laced knickers… kneeling above him, licking her lips as she gently ran her fingers on his naked torso… wanting to explore what else lies between his spread legs…

“Vega darling,” he sighed, as she carefully leaned over him and held his two hands, positioning them over his head, asking him to tuck them underneath it. “Won’t you let me know of what you’re planning?” He tried flashing a cheeky grin, but his blush was completely giving him away. “Won’t you let me know of your secrets –“

A deep groan that rattled his insides escaped him as she managed to slip a hand underneath those dark grey boxer shorts… as her skillful little fingers found his erection…

Mouth hanging wide, muscles tensing, Tom felt his stomach contract as the girl licked her lips, still kneeling above him, as she made small patterns with her fingertips on his shaft, tracing small teasing circles on the crown of his cock as she deliciously watched his jaw become slack, hips slightly bucking at every complete rotation her delicate fingers could create –

“Tom,” his name escaping her lips so confidently – a complete opposite of the Vega who frustrated him before. “You’ve been working so hard to get my attention…” She looked down, a bit of guilt creeping up on that small, beautiful face. “You’ve suffered for too long and constantly attempted to win me back…”

The man’s breath hitched, as she slowly pulled down his boxers, sliding them past his feet… and gently shoving them on the floor… as she continued her silent ministrations with her hands… on his throbbing cock.

“For once,” she breathed, chest heaving as she moved closer, crawling on all fours on the bed – without removing her hands from his length. “Let me please you…” She lowered her head and brushed the tip of her nose against his, rendering him stiff and completely at her beck and call… even more when she dipped her head and smeared those parted lips with hers… “Let me show you _how much I need you_ …”

Vega broke off from the kiss, seeing how Tom’s furrowed eyebrows only told her how much he wanted more of it – “Let this be my penance,” her voice sounded guilty, as if she was still pleading for him to take her back. “Let this be my apology –“

The man gritted his teeth and threw his head back as she began to stroke his length… the intensity of her movements rising with every touch, as she began to meticulously use her fingers in tracing and massaging those specific spots that made his body twitch and his insides twirl, as his desire to take her on her back and make her scream began to escalate every minute… Yet he sits there and allows her to tease him for all he’s worth.

And in return, he let his eyes roll to the back of his head, as he gasped, and moaned, and groaned, and made all those noises that he was certain in making the woman’s panties be drenched by the time he was done doing those beautiful vocal ministrations –

But the girl was showing no signs of relenting at all.

“ _Hah_ –“ she let out a small chuckle, a mischievous smile that rivals his own, appearing on her face. “Does this do for you, darling…”

He squirmed under her touch, veins appearing at his neck as he stretched upon her every stroke, taut stomach contracting. “Y-Yes –“

The touch of her flesh against his just made him harder, and her breath touching his ears when she leaned over was too much to bear. “Do you like what I’m doing?” she said with that gentle tone of her voice he swore he never heard before.

“Yes –“

“Do I make you hard, Thomas…”

“ _Yessss…_ ”

“Do you want more than this, _Thain_?”

“Ho God –“

“ _Do you want me, Thain?_ ”

He gritted his teeth, wondering if she would allow him to take her and fuck her up against something at that very moment – but then this wonderful sensation would have to stop.

“V-Vega,” he groaned in stutters by the time her hands were moist with his precum. “P-Please –“

The woman, who was busy smothering his lips with hers in every fraction of time spent not vocally teasing him, while leaving the mark of her mouth and her teeth on various parts of his body… before dragging her tongue repeatedly around his nipple, softly breathed against the wet patch she was suckling on his neck as she rose to face him, that angelic face slowly being intensified with beauty brought about by mischief…

“Thain,” she whispered by the monicker that brought a shiver down his spine, making her pump her hand harder against his shaft, as she made sure to let her fingers tease the surface of his sac whenever she could. “What is it, love…”

“Y-You’re teasing –“ _Ungh_!“M-Me…”

He felt like he was about to lose his own resolve when the girl kissed him square on the lips once again, only to release with a loud, wet, and resounding smack… before chewing gently on his lower lip, making him almost believe that he was on the brink of losing his mind. After all, when the woman whom you’ve forever been waiting for suddenly makes the first move on the bed – who could blame if you suddenly lose it?

“Am I?” she mumbled around the fact that she still has his lip trapped between her teeth. “Am I, really?”

Without a warning, all of the sensations in his body disappeared as she removed her hand from his cock and released his lower lip in a flash. Coming to his senses, he looked up to find her kneeling above him, as she began to slowly slip those laced panties down her thighs… past her legs… as she threw them aside, those dark chocolate eyes burning with a fire he can’t even handle himself.

He felt his entire body shudder when she gently parted her already moist and dripping folds with her fingers, as she brushed the tip of his cock… barely even lowering herself on him, as she undulated her hips forward, having his shaft nudge the entire length of her slit, coating it with her natural lubricant.

A gasp escaped Tom’s mouth as he was unable to keep his hands to himself, tucked behind the back of his head as he raised his torso, trying to get his hands on the woman –

Only for Vega to grunt and push him back down –

As she angrily tangled her fingers in his hair, stretching his head up to a point his chin was up in the air –

As she found herself roughly kissing him –

Tongues, nipping, biting, teeth clashing and all –

Before biting down the side of his neck, leaving a mark as he opens his mouth and screams…

As she continued to dip her hips down, brushing her entrance with the head of his throbbing cock, that with one thrust from him and a definite movement from her to lower it – and she’d have him completely sheathed in her, giving him what he wanted.

Roughly suckling on his lips as he let out a juicy moan when she released him, there was a dominant glare in Vega’s eyes as she let her breath mingle with his, enjoying what she was seeing – his strained expression, his furrowed eyebrows, and that face that was so close –

“Darling,” she hushed, letting her lips brush against his cheek. “Lay back, relax, and let me take care of you…”

Tom shook his head upon feeling how her hips were slowly lowering her slit onto his length, her folds slowly swallowing his cock, enveloping the head… before pulling back up and freeing majority of his length as she began to roll her hips again… trying to get used to his enormous girth, as she repeatedly coated his cock with her juices…

“I c-cant last long if y-you do this…” Tom pleaded, his eyes half-lidded with lust now as he looked up at Vega who was curling her fingers in his hair, her free hand pushing back the curls on his forehead as she kept her lips inches away from him, dodging out of the way whenever he tried to steal a smack. “Vega, please –“

“Be patient,” she whispered crossly, as she jerked her hips, causing him to throw his head back and moan. “All in good time.” She breathed on the swollen mark she made on his neck, causing him to thrash underneath her. “You’ll thank me later…” the shudder in her voice just made him shudder even more.

The sensation could drive him mad.

To make things worse than what it already was – Tom found himself watching her tease him by having one hand on his bare belly, and another on one of his thighs with her arm positioned behind her, clasping his left inner thigh… As Vega kept repeating the same motion, having her move her hips in such a way that her slit would rub against the head of his cock, shoving it slightly past her folds and releasing it again… The friction was causing the nerve endings within him to clash, making him realize that there is more than the oblivious and defensive girl that he made love to the first time around…

And during the entire process, she would watch him with half-lidded eyes, as if daring him to move, as she admired her work at the same time, as he strained helplessly underneath her, running out of breath and hitting those high-pitched breathy moans he have never done before… with every jerk of her hips and that very subtle grit of her teeth…

And the idea of a deviant Aeoren just made his cock twitch even harder… as he found himself squirming helplessly underneath her control.

Her hips jerked up as she let out a small moan, as she turned to look at the man she was teasing, face strained with anticipation, his hands clutching the sheets as he stopped himself from grabbing her and thrusting himself right into her… realizing that he’d always been waiting for this… _he’d always been waiting for Vega to make the moves on the abandoned chessboard after he had done his._

And bit by bit, she began to take him in, as she slid down his thick girth…

As she rocked her hips…

Held on to his body as much as she could…

Gave enough leeway for him to move and jerk his hips upwards too as she continued to please him…

As he drowned with the visage of her slowly fucking his cock with her bra strap slipping slowly off her shoulder…

But with what she was doing, how she was slowly and painstakingly teasing him of the one thing he always wanted from her, the physical declaration of her love and desire for him, and the way she closed her eyes and threw her head back whenever she would lower herself onto his waiting girth and pull back up, letting him feel the throb of her folds every time she did so…

He could slowly see how Vega was slowly breaking apart with the desire she was setting on him…

That was when Tom knew he had to make a move.

Suddenly rising, almost completely catching her unhinged as she bounced upwards and launched herself down in a way that she took in half of his girth, he managed to wrap his arms around her and unsnap her bra, throwing them aside.

Completely surprised at the turn of events, Vega found herself gritting her teeth and almost squealing when she felt a hot mouth envelop her already perked up nipples, as a tongue began to swirl around the sensitive bud – not helping with the growing sensation that kept hitting her clit at that exact very moment –

“ _Tom!_ ”

Grabbing his arms she managed to pin him back down, and distract him with a rough kiss filled with tongue, as she devoured his mouth and sank herself completely on the length of his cock, causing his entire body to shudder as she had her walls completely tighten over the intrusion, as she released his mouth that was still moaning out her name.

Pinning him down with gasps and pants escaping his lips, she gritted his teeth and looked straight into his eyes, clearly frustrated with how he turned the tables –

“You n-naughty, naughty boy –“

“I want to please you too, Vega,” he said darkly, those blue eyes clearly wanting to devour her if he had the chance. “Let me make love to y—“

“Give me this!” she roared as she lifted her hips only to slam back down on his cock, causing him to moan right into her mouth as she roughly kissed him yet again. “Give me this chance to fuck you with everything I’ve got –“ she whispered before her eyes softened, those blue eyes completely drowning with hers. “I’ve lost the chance over and over again by being a cowardly rabbit in your arms – now let me give you the full plethora of my desire…”

She felt him shiver.

“Because what you saw…” she whispered softly against his cheek, her breath causing his chest to heave against her bare breasts. “Our halted affair, the kiss in the gazebo… my first time with you… Is just the tip of the iceberg…”

She saw his lip quiver – but whether if it was with overwhelm or fear, she didn’t care – because she had him screaming her name the moment she lifted her hips and dragged herself almost off his cock, only for her to swallow him whole again in one full stroke, causing the man to shudder all over and scream out her name.

Tucking both her legs on either side of his thighs, she began to bring her hips up and down in a fast motion, _furiously fucking him_ as she flattened her arms on either side of his head, completely bending over him as she covered his mouth in kisses, muffling the way he moaned and groaned against her hungry lips.

Curling her fingers into his hair and tugging at it, Vega released the man’s mouth only to fill the air with his moans and cries that were in tune with the very rhythm of how she pumped her cunt repeatedly against his cock that began to stiffen and throb even more within her, threatening to burst and spill inside her womb – the one thing _she was completely intending to_.

And despite forgetting to wear a condom on him…

Vega realized that this time, _she meant business_.

Slowly catering to her own pleasures, the woman slowly lifted her body from the man as she continued pumping against him, undulating her hips and allowing her slit to swallow him repeatedly, as she repositioned her hands on his taut stomach, as she used her hips and her knees to propel herself forward and upward, then downward again…

Completely ignoring on how the man’s hands were free and were silently roaming upwards on her torso as she threw her head back, licked her lips, and fucked him like she pleased to, delivering the threat of a good fuck – a _love_ that she always intended to give him if not for her own initial cowardice – Vega didn’t realize how his large palms were slowly cupping her breasts, causing her to groan and shudder around his cock as she lost control for a moment, as she felt him slowly knead those pert breasts bouncing against his hands…

Unhooking his hands, she wrapped her fingers around them as she slowly brought them up to her face, gently showing the man a bit of tenderness despite the rouge and domineering way she was handling him earlier – showing him how pleased she is to have her chest fondled…

 

…until she found herself staring straight at those slit-shaped scars on the man’s wrists.

 

Tom felt his eyes flutter open as his own hip movements began to slow down upon finding the woman slowly running her lips against his self-harm scars, as her own movements began to cease gradually, before pressing his hands against her face… bringing them down against her chest… as if she was cradling them close to her heart…

Tom didn’t know exactly why he was brimming with tears, but he completely understood what she meant when she whispered loud and clear to him –

 

“ _Never again_.”

 

“Vega –“

“You promise me,” he couldn’t see it through the dim lights of the room, but her own eyes began to pool with tears. “You promise me, never again…”

He can barely focus with his own heart pounding in his ears as he whispered – “ _Never” –_ before he found her leaning over him and covering his face with kisses, before enveloping his mouth with hers, and their sexually aggressive ministrations were forgotten as he managed to free his hands cradled in her cleavage as he pulled her close, kissing her so hard like it was the first time –

“I promise –“

Her thrusts began to start again, as she looked up at him with those fiery brown eyes. “Don’t you ever dare hurt yourself again –“ she whispered as she leaned down, pressing her head against his, taking a deep breath. “ _Don’t hurt the man I love…_ ”

Despite the softness of it all, how she seemed to have forgiven him for that indiscretion, he felt his entire body fire up at her last statement –

The man almost felt himself black out when Vega began to furiously kiss him, as his heart suddenly beat faster with how she resumed on straddling him and pumping herself onto him, as their initial sexual hurdle was turned into passionate lovemaking… She managed to remain on top as all their limbs are entangled, her hands on his chest, both his hands clutching her hips, threatening to leave marks she can never hide or erase, as the air was littered with gasps, pants, heavy breathing, and desperate moans where it was hard to identify who is who and which is which –

 

“G-God –“ Tom found himself mumbling in between his breathy noises. “Vega I m-might be c-close –“

“ _Come_ ,” Vega said simply.

“I c-cant –“ Tom moaned. “I d-don’t want… to leave you… h-hanging…”

He felt a hand touch his cheek amidst the thrashing, desperate thrusting, and panting they were making, as she whispered in his ear, the touch of her breath making him shiver all over. “It’s okay,” she said in a small voice, reminding him of the sounds she made the first time they made love. “I w-want you to come for me –“

“No –“

“This time –“

“Vega, I can’t come without you –

She brushed her lips against his ear. “Sweetie, I want you to –“

 

Next thing Vega knew, her control over Tom had dissipated, and the man managed to hold her tightly by her shoulders as he smothered her hard with his lips as he sat her up against his now seated figure, pressing his chest tightly against hers, feeling those soft breasts being smothered against his chest… Kissing her fervently, considering that Vega was slowly losing her energy but still wasn’t coming anytime soon, Tom managed to lift her up to a point that he managed to pull himself out of her – moaning at how they were separated.

There was a quick tussle between lovers, before Vega found herself flat on the bed with her back on it… chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath… only for her to look down and find the man straining his own erection against the mattress, holding himself up as he let his own fire die down… as he was holding the woman by her hips…

 

As he slowly spread her legs…

 

“What are you doing –“ she struggled as she tried to regain her control, pushing her knees against the man – but there was a sudden strength that was coming from him, as it was his turn to press his hands on her chest, pushing her back down – as those blue eyes burned right through her defenses.

“I told you,” he growled. “ _I can’t climax without you_.”

 

Vega held her breath as she felt her entire body tense up, as Tom teasingly inserted two fingers inside her moist slit… curving his fingers as she gritted her teeth and tried not to moan with how he stretched her folds… before pulling it out to show his index and middle finger completely dripping wet…

Without thinking twice, the man slipped it inside his mouth, tasting her, that tongue lapping up her juices up the length of those dexterous, long fingers – making Vega wish she could fight against how Tom held her knees apart, so that she can delay that wall of passion that was about to hit her like an incoming train.

“Oh dear,” he whispered, a naughty grin forming on the side of his mouth, savoring her sweetness. “This won’t do…”

 

The moment he flicked his eyes at her with that soul-piercing glare, Vega couldn’t stop a gasp from escaping her lungs.

 

She felt fear rise within her chest as the man proved that he can be more predatory and in charge than what she was earlier – though it was clear how much he enjoyed her domineering side even if it lasted for a short while… _If you would even consider that as a short while…_

But she knew she was not going to be the same once he properly devours her…

Once she completely allows him to be intimately with her in such a manner where she’d allow him to worship her with his mouth…

To make her come without fulfilling his needs first…

And she barely even had time to retort or even think of a counter to what he was about to do, because even before she could say a word – Tom had completely framed his face in between her legs, those blue eyes glaring up at her as she felt the warm surface of a tongue flick against her swollen clit –

 

 _“Oh my God –_ “

 

Thomas was able to exact his “revenge” over the woman as he did what he was supposedly good at – and he knew he was definitely better than average in doing it, the moment Vega threw her head back and raked her nails on the duvet… before bunching them up in her hands and crumpling up the bedding, unable to take how Tom had started to suckle and lick at her swollen folds…

Slowly…

Ever so slowly…

As he held her thrashing hips still, her moistness soaking up his mouth…

He closed his eyes momentarily to savour her as he lapped up her juices, making sure to hit her most sensitive spots…

As he let his hands roam up her bare torso – completely rendering her powerless the moment his fingers found her nipples…

 

“J-Jesus –“ she cried out, completely losing that deep and domineering voice she held earlier, as she refused to look down in between her legs, unless she want to come faster with how Tom opened his eyes and eye-fucked her while he slipped his tongue in and out of her slit. “F-Fuck –“

He dangerously flitted his eyes at her upon her own ministrations, before completely ignoring her as he continued to suckle at her cunt, while slinging her bare legs over his shoulders, enjoying the way her ankles brushed against his prominent shoulder blades.

“G-God –“

“ _Mmmmm –_ “

“D-Don’t –“

She felt her eyes roll towards the back of her head when she felt him moan her name against her folds, causing a shudder to claim her entire body –

Now it was her turn to thrash wildly, pushing her hips against the man’s face as she propelled herself upwards as the man pulled her back down, displaying his strength, as he completely buried his face in between her legs.

But Tom found himself furrowing his eyebrows when the girl’s hands released the duvet – and found themselves tangled in his hair… as she didn’t hold back with pulling and tugging at those golden curls… causing him to suckle harder in between her legs, causing her thighs to twitch against both his cheeks, as the girl began to spiral out of control underneath him.

 

“Jesus Fu –“

“ _Mmmmmm_ ” the man relentlessly moaned against her, seemingly tracing the letters of her name against her clit, but she was drowning too much in the sensations to notice it.

“Y-You c-cant –“

The vibrations coming from that talented mouth was too much.

“T-Tom!”

 

It wasn’t too long till she knew she was about to burst –

“Tom…” she cried. “I’m c-close –“

The man opened his eyes and looked at her flushed state, the woman looking completely at a loss on what to do – as she felt like completely melting in his arms with how his talented tongue turned her insides into mush with every movement and every manner he flicked it against her sensitive nub. And what made Vega surrender even more is the realization that no other man was able to fully please her like this…

Not even Gale…

And yet here is the man whom she initially rejected, the man whom she hid her desires from, who happens to be someone who could only make her climax this way… As he even displayed a capability and a genuine threat of making her come more than once with just the use of his mouth and his tongue…

And this truth dawning on Vega almost made her lose her sanity even earlier than expected.

 

“Tom –“ she cried out.

 

And as swiftly as she cried, the man managed to retract his bearded mouth away from between her legs, his mouth still dripping with her juices as he positioned herself above her… preparing to thrust within her and finish the job –

 

“You didn’t have to…” she gasped, as she felt his cock slowly being pushed through her entrance.

“We’re doing this,” he groaned, shutting his eyes closed as he gritted his teeth, his jaw clenching. “Together –“

Both found each other crying out at the same time as Tom hilted himself in her, the strain and the sensations heightened – considering that they were both close to their climax after everything they have done in that span of time.

Vega found herself gritting her teeth as well as she clamped her nails on the man’s arm, as he held onto her hip, as he began to thrust down hard – but his rhythm slow. Burying his face in her hair, Tom also found himself tangling his hand in her locks, suddenly enjoying the length that wasn’t available for him before… Realizing how Vega was slowly starting to look like her old self – two years ago…

 

“Oh G-God –“ she cried. “T-Tom…”

“Vey…”

“H-Harder…” she gritted her teeth at him. “Fuck –“

 “Vega… I –”

“ _Fuck!_ ”

“P-Please…” he stuttered, body shuddering.

 

The woman found what was left of her energy to throw her head back and almost scream when Tom managed to grip her thigh and lift her leg up to dangle over his shoulder, as he thrust deeper into her, harder than what she had been doing earlier to tease him, and slower than how she lowered herself over him earlier…

Completely lost in the sensation and the pleasure, Vega could barely hear Tom calling out her name as she was lost in her own sexual headspace… before she felt his lips brush against hers, as he momentarily dragged her down from paradise – with both of them close to reaching the full extent of it anyway.

 

“V-Vega… Are you mine?”

 

Being thrust up against the mattress, she found herself opening her eyes only to be faced with a glorious sight… of Tom’s bedroom eyes peering down on hers, pleading – far from the domineering sex god who was eating her up and savoring her every drop earlier…

 

“Are you really,” he said with a soft thrust, his eyes fluttering at the end of the syllable.

 

“Truly,” he drove himself within her once more, before completing the question.

 

“Mine…?” The gasp that escaped him made her stomach all a flutter, as his breath touched her lips, causing her to throw back her head and gasp – a testament of how close she truly was to climaxing.

 

Bringing herself back down from Heaven, making sure that she doesn’t leave that important question hanging, she found herself gently opening her eyes with her hands held up high above her head… as she smiled brightly up at the man who was painstakingly waiting for her to answer such a heartfelt question when both of their orgasms were at stake –

It seemed as if the words were blocked out and the movement of Vega’s mouth would have been enough to make Tom climax.

 

“ _One hundred percent._ ”

 

Eyes tearing up, he shut them closed and gritted his teeth as he thrust harder, causing the woman to throw her head back and catapult herself back into that headspace of desire as her body convulsed with her pleasure… While the man she was making love to found himself biting down on the side of her neck as he succumbed to his own orgasm, his body shivering as he burst inside of her, unafraid of the consequences and ready for a whole new world that he just discovered with her…

 

Catching her breath as she let Tom stroke her hair repeatedly as he came to terms with his own body, Vega found herself staring at the ceiling, trying to remember what she just answered to his question…

“D-Did I say, one hundred percent?” she found herself asking.

The man, who was just recovering from the sexual tremors his body was going through, opened one eye and nervously looked at her. “Yes,” he said, breathlessly. “Is something the m—“

“I’m sorry, I think that’s incorrect –“

Tom closed both of his eyes as a wave of disappointment was reflected on his face still dealing with the onset of his orgasm, as he was unable to deal with another impending heartbreak, sick of Vega’s cryptic ways – When all of a sudden, the girl turned to smile brightly at him as she slipped snugly into his arms, holding him close…

 

“ _I meant, I am now a hundred and **one**_ _percent_ _yours, baby_ …”

 

The laughter that filled the air was completely intoxicating, even if his voice was completely hoarse from groaning and screaming, and it was that dastardly endless chortling of _ehehehe_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “None Left To Protest” – the title, is taken from a quote – "I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest” which comes from “Much Ado About Nothing”. It’s just apt for a Shakespeare-obsessed boy hearing it from the love of his life.


	58. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See how the cookie really crumbles.

He could say that this was the first time he slept soundly for weeks.

Even years.

But there was something that scared Tom from waking up, considering his past experiences with the woman he knew he was currently sleeping with… And yet he wished his eyes could stay closed so he can cherish that beautiful memory of her saying those three precious words in his ear that night when she allowed him to make love to her again…

 _At least I get to keep that memory in case I do wake up alone once more,_ were the thoughts that touched his mind as he slowly slipped back into consciousness. _But hey, she did say that she loved me… I should definitely trust my Aeoren…_

Daring to open his eyes, his vision adjusted around his room in the Crowne Plaza as the first thing he noticed was a faint dim light of the day outside seeping through his closed curtains, despite the foggy disposition that was happening in Melbourne.

Feeling a bit sore, he tried to raise his head – only to realize how heavy his body felt. Wincing, realizing that maybe Vega did work him too hard that night (and what a pleasure it was), he looked down to find the covers covering him up to his neck… going through a gut-wrenching feel slowly taking over him as he tried to get a hold of himself despite that initial fear that he was left, yet again  – when he found himself wondering why he felt exceptionally warm despite the horribly cold day –

Pulling the covers down a bit, he felt his heart leap as his eyes came into focus – as he drew back the thick duvet to find a small pair of hands nestled comfortably on his chest…

And just when he thought she’d be missing – as she was notoriously known for being so, Vega was fast asleep in his arms, mother naked as he was; but completely curling up close to him, pulling the covers closer towards the two of them, seemingly seeking body heat through the course of the cold night…

Heart swelling twice its size, Tom found himself biting his lip as he ran his hands through her bed hair, those long tresses that fell on the side of her cheek, framing her face as she silently slept on him, her body pressed to his side. Part of him wanted to take her up to his face, slowly draping her tired legs over his torso… so he can plant soft gentle kisses on her head and on those sweet cheeks as she slept… but then he had to stop himself from moving as he didn’t want to wake the baby from her sleep…

And yet watching her face pressed against his chest with that peaceful expression made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside…

As a soft and gentle smile formed on his face, while those blue eyes slowly welled with tears upon realizing how long he had waited for this, and how much he had yearned to wake up just to find her in his arms…

He was in the middle of threading out strands of her black hair with his hands, just watching her sleep…

Admiring the way she was curled up close to him…

The way her face followed the movement of his chest as he breathed…

As he ran his hand gently down her head to tenderly brush her cheek with the back of his hand…

As he tilted his head, trying to get a better look at her face…

Wondering what she’s dreaming about…

As he couldn’t stop smiling to himself…

Letting his hand wander down her back, pushing the covers down a bit, to touch the bare skin between her shoulder blades –

 

“ _Mmmm_ …” a moaned retort escaped the girl, causing his heart to leap yet again, as he had to strain himself from gasping… only for his eyebrows to furrow and his heart to melt even further when the girl suddenly winced, and burrowed her face deeper against his chest.

“Cold,” came Vega’s little sleepy voice as she huddled closer to the man she was sleeping with, not knowing how Tom tensed all over with the adorable gesture she’s doing to him. “Cold…” she seemed to plead, as the man hushed into her hair and gathered the covers around both of them, cocooning the shivering girl with the quilts and his own body.

As she shifted around, looking for warmth, she turned around at an angle that she was now closer to his face. Enjoying this new position in contrast to the way he couldn’t move with her perched conveniently on his chest, he found her all snuggled up against the crook of his arm, pulling the covers – and him, closer to her… inciting him to move closer and nudge his nose against her cheeks, cuddling with her as he closed his eyes and contemplated at least one more hour of sleep…

When he felt another shiver go through his spine when he felt Vega snuggle closer to him – only to let out a little muffled moan when he held her tighter and pressed a soft, chaste kiss to her right cheek.

Gently opening her eyes… Vega found herself blinking at a pair of bright blue bedroom eyes that smiled at her as if she was his Christmas present and it was Christmas Day…

“Hi…” she whispered in that sleepy voice, her neck heating up upon realizing with whom she was lovingly snuggling up with.

“Hey,” Tom said in that deep baritone as he nudged the tip of his nose against hers against hers once more, causing Vega to shudder and turn red just before his very eyes. “Good morning, sleepyhead…”

The way his voice dipped as he addressed her caused a tingling sensation that ran from her solar plexus towards that space… between her legs… As she had to retract her gaze from him when her cheeks turned red, causing her to bury her face in the crook of his neck… eliciting a hearty chuckle from the man whom she used to consider her online brother – Well, she still does.

“Oh Vega,” Tom mused, brushing his cheek against the tuft of her hair. “What’s wrong, darling? Did I scare you –“

“ _No_ ,” came the muffled answer against his bare shoulder, the vibration from her voice sending these pleasurable shivers up his spine, making him blush as well. “ _It’s just… It’s just…_ ”

He felt her brush her soft lips against his skin, causing him to close his eyes and bite his lip for a moment, only to open them and see her lifting her head from the slope where his shoulder and neck met, looking up at him with those sleepy dark brown eyes.

“I’m hungry.”

Furrowing his eyebrows, he retracted a bit from the girl, wearing an incredulous smirk on his face. “Vega,” he said in a feigned cross tone. “What have I told you about starving yourself, darling?” Much to his surprise, the woman just pouted her lip as she looked up from his arms, making him feel all fluttery and warm inside on how they could manage to have this type of casual conversation while stuck in an intimate embrace. He felt like this was all he ever wanted.

Hiding the smile on her lips, she whined against his shoulder.

“Vega darling, if you’re hungry, you should eat.”

“Ehhh…” she said, snuggling deeper into his arms. “Cold.”

Tom swore he couldn’t stop smiling now.

“Why didn’t you order room service?”

“I didn’t want to wake you.”

“I don’t mind, love.”

Rising up from his shoulder and facing him with those sleepy eyes, the woman pursed her lips and said, “Listen, I actually wanted to leave bed and buy the best coffee in Melbourne – which just happens to be across the street… as well as a pair of scrumptious muffins made by a bakery just a few blocks away.” Frowning, she leaned against the pillow and said, “But I didn’t want you to wake up with an empty bed, so I decided to stay here instead till you woke up…”

There was something she said that made him furrow his eyebrows at her, causing Vega to lift her head a bit, about to ask him what was wrong. But the moment she tried opening her mouth – she was suddenly met with a kiss that caused her to widen her eyes, before they slowly fluttered closed, suddenly aware of what happened the night before and the deal that was sealed with it…

Releasing her mouth with a resounding smack, Vega opened her eyes only to find him leaning once more to steal another kiss.

“Woah –“ Vega said, seemingly in a daze, unable to hide the way she blushed from her cheeks to her neck… and lower. “That’s quite a lot for expressing how upset you are at me for not getting breakfast –“

“It’s okay,” he sighed, snuggling closer. “I love you anyway.”

The shade of pink on Vega’s cheeks turned into something redder, as she lowered her head and looked somewhere else.

“ _I love you too_.”

He opened his one eye to look at her, only to find how adorable she was trying not to look at him, trying to curl up towards her center, hiding the fondness in her eyes. But as he moved closer to nudge her with his nose, she found herself lifting her face towards him in surprise, and he felt so giddy to find out that her blush spreads from her cheeks down to her bare chest…

“Can I hear it again, Vega darling?”

The way she pursed her lips and looked away was just too precious for words, considering that she had no legal reason to take it back or not say it, considering what _has happened_ to the two of them for the longest time, and the fact that she wouldn’t dare break his heart by omitting that fact that she does truly love him…

Like a little child shying away, Vega whispered those three precious words Tom couldn’t get enough of… “I love you…”

He closed his eyes upon hearing it, relishing the sound of her actual voice saying it, as he follows it up by placing this long and tender kiss on her cheek. Opening his eyes, he finds her leaning into his embrace, her hair falling on her face, with a smile slowly appearing on those lips…

“Oh… That’s just perfect… Can I hear it one more time, my sweet?”

Vega found herself raising her eyes from staring at those incredulous pecs that she had her own bare chest to press against, ignoring the honey-toned way the man asked her to say _I love you again_ , before she managed to free a hand and roughly ruffle Thomas on the head, causing him to whine and then laugh that intoxicating giggle he always unleashes in public.

“You know I do, so don’t push it,” she growled affectionately, before nuzzling her nose against his cheek, sinking herself in his embrace. “You’ll wear those precious words out.”

However, the answer accompanied by the sigh that Tom breathed into her hair was just so relieving, it made her forget about the grumbling in her stomach…

“As long as it comes from you, darling.”

 

 

 

***

 

 

“My God,” he mused. “You’re right!”

Vega looks up from her eggs Benedict and sausages, peering behind the morning paper that comes with it, hair a bit dry, but nonetheless still dressed in that white zip-up thick sweater under her brown trench, sitting on a small table for two as she watched her best-friend drink his coffee, seemingly impressed with the brew.

“This is quite the best tasting coffee I’ve ever encountered,” Thomas exclaimed, a bit of the froth still on his upper lip. He only noticed this when Vega found herself covering her mouth with her hand, before she gestured to his upper lip – causing the man to quickly blush and wipe it off with a napkin.

The woman found herself folding the morning paper and pushing it away as she had a bite of her sausages, unable to hide the grin on her face – wondering if she ever knew that things would end this way… End in such a manner so peaceful and so relieving that she’d actually be having breakfast with the man whom she’s been dying to talk to for months on end…

“Stop patronizing the coffee, Thomas –“

“But it really tastes good –“

“Don’t say it just because I said it is –“

“But honey,” he said in that sweet tone that made Vega want more cream and sugar in her coffee. “You know I’d always trust your good judgment –“ He suddenly found himself pausing upon finding the woman in front of him biting her lower lip, tilting her head, shaking it at him. “What? What did I say? Did I say something? Did –“

The girl blushed once more, and that was when Tom realized how everything is now different for the two of them… in a _very_ good way. Gone was the uncertainties and the calculations, gone were the awkward moments, and here she was – his Vega – completely transparent and gracious with her real feelings, as she shrugged her shoulders and smiled up at him from across the table, completely giving him the mellifluousness of how true and sound her affections for him were.

“Nothing,” she said with a sunny demeanor, smiling at the cold and cloudy disposition of the city outside the window of the restaurant they were in. “It’s just…” she couldn’t find the words to say, but he could definitely see it in the way she licked her lips and beamed up at him. “It’s just –“

She sighed again, biting her lips. “Everything’s just…” she found herself bravely looking up at him, trying not to giggle at the crumbs of the toast on the side of his mouth, or the coffee stains on his fingers, or how he didn’t even bother to brush those gold curls before propping on a random baseball cap in hopes of hiding his identity while in public.

“Everything is just perfect.”

Completely pleased with this turn of events, this surety of things, he couldn’t help smiling as well as he reached over the table to touch her hand… which she didn’t snatch away or shake off this time around. But then he frowned, wrinkled his nose, and smirked at her.

“What’s wrong?” It was Vega’s turn to ask, furrowing her eyebrows in worry.

The man bit his lower lip, mirroring her expression earlier, before raising those blue eyes as he pursed his lips. “Must you be on that side of the table, darling?” he teased, tugging at her hand, causing Vega to drop her head in an attempt to hide that grin that suddenly spread from ear to ear. “You’re too far away…”

“Oh you’re such a big giant ball of cheese –“

“Come over here –“

“There’s not enough space –“

“I haven’t held you for over fifteen minutes –“

“I’m just right here, Tom!”

They both ended up silently giggling as the woman tried playfully wrenching her hand away from his tender grip, as Tom kept silently convincing her to come over and sit on his lap, while Vega would look around and shake her head, gesturing over the number of diners who may or may not be paying attention to their little conversations and laughter while trying to finish their breakfast…

But despite everything, the sweetness of it all, it was all real and it was completely comforting to find the two of them openly expressing their emotions, without any reservations about what the outside world thinks at all.

However, Tom found himself biting on his lower lip, looking at her through bites of his breakfast, as the two who were trying so hard not to act like giddy teenagers tried to finish what was left of their food.

“I think,” he started, those blue eyes anxiously flitting up to look at her. “I think I may have to make it up to you about something…”

Bashfully looking at him, Vega furrowed her eyebrows and said. “What is it?”

“I may have done something offensive last night –“

Almost choking on her coffee, considering everything that went on and how he lost himself the previous night (and how the memory of it still makes her feel so weak in the knees), she couldn’t believe how such a sexual creature could be so bashful and reserved in front of her almost twelve hours later, unable to talk about that boldness he displayed before her – even if she initially took on the reins.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, Thain,” she rolled her eyes. “After everything –“

“It’s not that –“ he sighed, before laughing profusely. “It’s just that –“ He couldn’t stop smiling in the middle of his words. “I’m really sorry we didn’t use protection –“

To his surprise, it was Vega’s turn to burst out laughing – rendering him confused for the meantime. By the time she caught herself boisterously giggling, she found the man who is known for playing a dastardly villain – looking at her with confused puppy dog eyes, before biting his lip to look away bashfully like a teenager when she found herself smiling at him.

“No worries,” she said in that familiar Australian line, waving a hand. “I’ll take care of it. It’s my fault anyway –“ A laugh escaped her. “Besides,” she started, unable to hide a giggle. “What’s the worst that could happen if we get a mini-Thain?”

For a moment, Vega swore she couldn’t stand up upon seeing that dominant look on Thomas’s face, when he raised his eyes from his cup of coffee to lick his lips as he grinned at her.

“Woman, don’t tempt me –“

Much to his surprise, Vega couldn’t stop giggling at his face.

Clenching his hands to stop himself from standing up from his seat and suddenly taking her face against his and giving her a wondrous coffee-and-cream flavored snog that can be seen throughout the entire restaurant, he found himself sighing as he reached out and took her delicate little hands in his, before looking out the window.

“It’s such a shame…”

Vega wondered how he could still be cryptic at such a happy moment like this, having breakfast with him for the first time not as her best-friend, not as her roommate, not as her Mercenary brother… but something more…

“What is?” she asked.

He turned to glance at her, his smile melting – before replacing it with a sad little smirk, hoping it would temper the sudden change of mood as he took a deep breath and sighed once more.

“That we have to cut this beautiful thing we have short…”

The smile did fade from Vega’s face as she glanced at him boldly with those questioning chocolate brown eyes as her grip loosened around his hand, as she straightened up on her seat, forgetting the blissful state she was in earlier.

“Tom,” she whispered. “What’s wrong?”

The man crossed his legs under the table and released his hand, running it through his hair as he worriedly looked at her crestfallen expression as he began to explain his predicament that he has been reiterating to her parents and her relatives the day before (and even almost a few days before) as to explain why he couldn’t stay long and attend the whole myriad of celebrations in Melbourne.

“I’ve got a ceremony and a black-tie event to attend in the next few days, darling,” he said straight-to-the point, knowing that this is Vega, and after two years of not knowing her at all and then discovering her personally, spiritually, and intimately… he felt no need to sugarcoat his words anymore. “I’ve got to go back to London in a short notice.”

Vega blinked and looked down at her hands.

Tom felt like wincing, wondering why on earth did he have to put it so bluntly, but yet again, Vega is all about honesty so he was somewhat confused on how she would take this –

“Already have a plus one?” she asked with a straight face, to which the man ended up easing a small smile from the corner of his mouth, somewhat finding comfort with the fact that she completely surprised him by asking that question – when he was expecting her to talk about how he seems to be letting her taste her own medicine…

“Well,” he said with a smug grin. “I only have one in mind if she would be willing to leave Melbourne at a short notice too…” Without having to say who it was, with the tenderness in his eyes and the way he reached out for her hand, Vega was certain about it.

Sighing herself as she brushed a fringe out of place from her forehead, she found herself playing with Tom’s long slender fingers. “You know I couldn’t leave the relos behind,” she indicated to her bumbling cousins and inquisitive aunts. “They’ve been planning this for quite a while…”

Suddenly remembering the predicament that they were both facing two years ago, Tom suddenly tensed his jaw as he loosened the way his fingers were entwined around the woman’s fingers. Opening his mouth, trying to mend the situation, trying to make her understand that he’s not imposing anything on her again, no ultimatum, no demands; especially that she’s starting to show that crestfallen expression that is making his heart melt once more –

“Vega sweetheart,” he started, covering her small knuckles with his palm once more. “I am not demanding anything, I just –“

To his surprise, the girl just shook her head, smiled sadly and said, “Its’ okay, I understand.”

There was some fear in Tom’s eyes when he looked at her, wondering if she’s hiding behind those reassuring statements she always does… But to his surprise, the girl tenderly unhooked her hand from under his, ate the last piece of her toast before gingerly brushing them off her jeans, smiling up at him as she did so.

“What time is your flight?”

Tom thought he was imagining things. “I c-can stay for a while,” he started, seeing the serious and casual look in her eyes. “I need to be at the airport at least an hour before five in the afternoon –“

Vega just nodded at him, and smiled – a sincere smile. “That’ll be fine. I’ll take you to the airport.”

The man almost dropped his jaw, completely surprised with how casual she took this dilemma. He peered into her eyes, looking for any sign of contempt, any sign of disappointment, or any sign of hurt at all… but he found none… as if she had completely accepted it… as if she had completely accepted him and whatever that comes their way…

For a moment Tom felt like he was Vega from two years ago, asking for a reprieve, a lee way – and here she was, being _just like him_ , completely giving him the way out without asking anything in return…

“Vega, you don’t have to bother yourself with me –“

She nodded at him and smiled that sweetest smile that just made him feel like jello. “No worries,” she said gently. “I’ve got you. After all,” she flicked her phone open and gave a playful smirk. “Kara happened to use my car last night to drive some of the relos to the hotel, but ended up leaving it in the carpark since my brother brought his…” She turned to him and gave him a devilish grin. “Looks like I’ll be driving.”

The way she said it and the way she beamed at him, just made Tom realize how good it felt to have yourself taken care of by the woman you love.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

“I’m really sorry it’s such at a short notice –“

“If you fucking apologize to me again, I will fuck you in the nearest male’s rest room –“

“I’m completely game for that.”

“Are you nuts?” she hissed at him, taking a hand off the wheel to swat at him, as Tom playfully swatted back, tongue out of his mouth as he laughed out loud. “Do you want to lose the ability to stand?! And you’ve got a flight to catch!”

“I’ll be sitting down for fifteen hours and a 5 minute quickie can suffice, considering I won’t be getting any of that –“ He pretends to look behind her, despite her being seated on the right-hand driver’s seat. “—ass in five days…”

Vega stuck her tongue out at him. “Five days,” she reiterated. “And you better behave, Hiddleston.”

“Yes mistress,” he said, biting his lip.

The woman at the wheel couldn’t stop laughing at all with how naughty he was sounding, or how gentle and fond he was the entire time she spent with him that day before they would have to be parted again after that little “reconciliation” they had. Although part of Vega was afraid that maybe this wouldn’t last long once more, she couldn’t help but feel optimistic about things for once – considering the long road they had to go through, and the sweet and tender way Thomas wouldn’t let go of her hand or would steal a kiss or two while they were walking through the Southgate riverside.

Speaking of strolling around, Vega found herself spending an entire day with her ex-roommate, walking around the Melbourne CBD, randomly taking trams (and not the car so she can insist that Tom enjoy the scenery as it is – on foot), and looking out of windows after having a kiss stolen from her lips. It was so blissful that you wouldn’t believe that they would be parted past 4pm and they wouldn’t see each other for almost a week…

“Don’t you have a family gathering to attend to,” Tom would tease her, knowing the itinerary considering that her mother wouldn’t stop talking about it. “They’d be looking for you,” he would joke.

“And you as well,” she answered back, bopping his nose with a finger, causing him to scrunch it as she did so, while they ignored the lurch of the tram. “I am completely flabbergasted how you can turn an entire room of people whom I have never seen in a long time so amused and fond of you in a matter of hours –“ She raised an eyebrow at him. “Since it happens all the time, is it a superpower, Thain?”

Tom laughed gaily and answered, “They’re just lovable, that is why it’s so easy for me to get along with them…” He then narrows his eyes and smiles suggestively at her. “Well I think that adorable trait runs strong in the family –“

“Don’t even start –“ Vega said, wagging her finger.

“Oh come on baby, let me patronize you –“

Amidst Vega’s giggles and Tom’s cooing, passengers must have thought that it was Valentine’s Day or the like, but they decided to tone it down once they got to the city proper. And yet, they couldn’t stop. After all, how can you blame them when they’d be apart for a few days? _A few days…_

It didn’t help with how Thomas would look at the place so nostalgically, and Vega would even catch him looking up at the Eureka Tower with much fondness. She asked him what he was looking at, and he finds himself asking if he could take her to the Edge again and hinting about a proposal – only to be slapped on the shoulder and chased down a bridge, the two of them laughing the entire time.

Even the bridge wasn’t spared. The moment Vega was playing tour guide and described the Southbank Bridge becoming a new “promise nook” for lovers – Tom found himself tugging at her hand and saying, “Can we buy a lock?” The girl’s eyes widened as she blushed beet red, tugging back at his hand telling him that he’ll be late – in which the discussion ended up on one begging her to take him back to that “love bridge” so he can seal his name and hers on a Yale padlock, and the other screaming how he’d be late for his flight…

Thirty minutes later, they found themselves in the Melbourne Airport, with Vega having no panic attacks or hesitations when she passed that emergency bay where she corralled herself two years ago in an attempt to stop herself from fulfilling a “meaningless promise”. Or so she thought it was…

Vega however, found herself going through the same brand of panic and anxiety she went through two years ago as she watched her newfound lover pick up his duffle bag and at least one more luggage she helped him haul out of the car, even if he refused to let her even touch it, saying “I don’t want you straining yourself just because of my baggage, love” only to have him flabbergasted when she easily placed it in a waiting cart and wheeled it away from him, sticking her tongue out at him. Never has Thomas found her this playful… or loveable… before…

But then she stood in front of him, afraid of what those five days would mean, once the distance was set between them again, having an uncertainty based on patterns that were woven in their history, how _one of them_ could easily change their minds in a matter of days –

And Vega knew she used to be like that.

But as she looked up at those smiling blue eyes, she knew she wouldn’t take back her words from last night or this morning anymore. Not now, not ever. If she had to guts to do it two years ago, she couldn’t do it this time around.

And as she watched Tom easily carry his bags and become preoccupied with his documents and itinerary for the flight and his upcoming events, Vega had this sudden fear that maybe he’d exact that same treatment on her as revenge, to teach her a lesson, to drop her after five days – although Vega couldn’t imagine the man being _as heartless as her before to do that_ … It’s just not Tom. But you couldn’t help a thief from locking up their doors and putting their most treasured possessions in a safe, in fear of being robbed as well, don’t they?

But as she stood there, and opened her mouth to say goodbye to her newfound lover – Vega didn’t expect the words that floated out of her mouth.

“Th-Thain…” she started, finally catching his attention, as the tall man in the white dress shirt and blazer stopped looking at his phone, and turned in her direction, adorably responding to the monicker she uses for him ever since he created it back in 2002.

“I know,” she said, placing her hands together, looking down at her shoes. “I know it’s two years late…” That’s when Vega bravely looked up at him, those tears in her eyes starling Tom, suddenly causing him to lower his phone – ready to lunge at her with an embrace in case she burst into tears, begging him not to leave.

“But this –“

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders, before smiling through her tears.

“This is my airport promise.”

That was when Tom swore he felt his heart self-combust with all that love pounding and flowing in it, melting in the recesses of his stomach, as her words completely rendered him weak on the spot – as he had to catch himself from swooning.

“You’ve waited for me for so long, it’s my turn. I’ll wait,” she breathed as she spoke. “I’ll wait for you.”

Unable to say anything else, his lip quivered as he tried to utter a word – to which the girl widened her eyes, waiting for what he has to say. But then he completely lost all control as he stepped forward and slipped a hand behind her head, before bringing her close to him, lifting her off the ground and mashing his quivering lips against hers, kissing her with much passion and frustration combined – as she let him feel all that assurance and tenderness she promised him, and so much more as she returned the strong gesture, as they finally found themselves in sync with the sea of lovers and families sharing the same sentiment of a true and sincere goodbye.

Disengaging, Tom breathlessly whispered as he set her back on her feet. “Five days,” he huffed. “Five days and I’ll see you again.”

“Can’t wait,” Vega whispered in a small voice, as she tried to smile amidst the man wiping away her tears, unable to contain his own.

“Neither can I,” he whispered, before sharing another kiss and embrace with her, before truly parting with her.

Vega watched him walk away, Tom turning back several times to look at her lingering gaze, mouthing shared “ _I love you’s_ ” before he turned around and completely disappeared among a sea of people entering the immigration area, completely rescinding himself from the woman’s gaze.

She found herself standing there for a few more minutes, hoping to catch a glimpse of him – a tuft of his curly hair or his broad back, but then Vega realized that she has a dinner party to attend to in an hour, and she better go back to the flat and have a shower unless she can properly explain to her relatives why she was still dressed in last night’s clothes once she turns up at the Dimsum Buffet along Swanston Street, which was a few blocks from Flinders.

Returning to her car in the short-term parking lot, Vega slipped quietly in the driver’s seat, the deafening sound of her heart pounding shielding out the other noises in the airport, as she tried to meditate about the events of the day – including the affairs that took place the night before.

Eyes filling with tears – in contrast to the smile on her face, she found herself crossing her arms on the steering wheel as she slammed her forehead on the intersection of her limbs with a thud.

Despite that exhausted reaction that seemingly implied uncertainty and fear, a relieved laugh escaped the woman from under her tangle of limbs… as she came to terms of how everything will be alright.

Everything was just alright.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

_Six days later_

 

“You look ridiculous,” Max snorted at her boyfriend who was playfully sporting a striped white and black shirt. Not to mention that he did pack a beret. “Just because we’re going to Paris, you don’t have to look like Pierre le Pew or something of that –“

Lis, who was finally with the gang, glad to be back since Mari’s wedding, and regretting having to miss Vega’s fiancé drama through the past four months; was busy laughing in a corner, watching the couple hiss at each other.

“ _Hon hon hon_ ,” Fred teased, winking, stroking an invisible moustache with two fingers.

Lis and Lila ended up laughing, while Max rolled her eyes and rose from her seat.

Coincidentally, Vega’s return from Australia was the same day when the girls were going to fly to Paris. Considering that the bride with the supposedly tragic ending was going to have a layover of an hour and thirty, she decided to book that immediate flight to Paris with the girls at least four days before she arrived – and how she got those tickets for cheap… if it was even cheap? Nobody knows. Everyone’s just thrilled that Vega heeded Max’s advice to go with them to the romantic city to “unwind”, considering that she’s never been there before.

But despite all that wondrous planning, Vega’s Quantas plane was delayed for at least thirty minutes – and she hasn’t turned up at the Hangar where Fred and all the girls were waiting. Not to mention that they weren’t even complete just yet…

“Oh just stop it,” Max hissed at her boyfriend, who was busy giggling in his corner now, doing his own stupid French impressions. “Someone get me my fucking eyeliner, I’ll draw a stupid moustache on your lip so you’d look more ridiculous like a horrendous French Kevin Kline –“

“Oh,” someone suddenly uttered. “I think he’d be a gorgeous French Ned the Piemaker.”

Lis piped up, nodding with Mari who was sitting randomly beside her with her glasses on, holding hands with her husband who was going with the trip. “Yeah,” she replied to Mari’s statement. “Fred would make a great and hunky Lee Pace –“

“Does not!!!” Max growled, swirling around to growl at Mari, ignoring the goofy smile on Fred’s face. “He’s too quirky to be a hot Thranduil –“

Mari pulled her glasses down, surprised. “I didn’t say anyth –“

The girls suddenly widened their eyes and turned around, gasping at the sight of the now-long haired Aeoren who had it tied back in a ponytail, looking sunnier and brighter than everyone, considering that she was away from that dreadful autumn in Melbourne and back in the sunny glory of London –

She was in the middle of her triumphant smile of having duped the girls for mimicking Mari’s southern accent, when all of her plans felt like backfiring when she almost became a victim of a Mercenary pileup in the middle of Heathrow Airport. Fred was the only one laughing in the sidelines, completely grateful for Vega’s little comment about him looking like another gorgeous actor – but he couldn’t help but look around when the tiniest girl in the group showed up.

“Oh my God, Vega –“

“Guuuurl, you look fine!”

“Damn, you’re glowing –“

“Am I?” Vega said worriedly, touching her cheek. “It must be aliens –“

“And here I am worrying that the tough-as-nails Aeoren would be crying in the dumps after being dumped by her useless fiancé,” Lis exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips. “I worried for nothing!”

Vega laughed at her Mercenary sister’s face and said, “Me? Wallow in misery over that stupid buffoon –“ She barely finished her sentence amongst the chuckling of the girls before she turned to Lis and opened her mouth, seemingly offended. “And for the record, I was the one who dumped him –“

“Really?” Lis shot back, getting into that typical banter with Vega. “Coz that wasn’t the story I heard –“

Someone suddenly shrieked in the group and Theora Baggins and Aeoren had to halt their conversation, when someone turned up at the hangar with big dark aviators, hiding those sleepy blue eyes, while dressed only in a leather jacket over his blue threadbare shirt, clearly looking positive and sunny despite the rigorous events and appearances during the next few days. And of course, when you’re ambushed by a bunch of women you consider as sisters, you couldn’t help but smile – especially since he has one that literally lights up the room.

Or so Vega thought as she furrowed her eyebrows and stood on the spot as she watched her other Mercenary Brother’s sunglasses be snatched from his face by an excited Lisbeth, who suddenly covered him in a hug – as he was glomped and embraced by all the other girls.

But the moment she felt someone stand beside her, as she watched Tom exchange high fives with the taller man in the striped shirt, Vega knew she had to wipe off that hopeless romantic look on her face as she felt Maxine breathing down her neck as they watched the girls swarm Thomas like a bunch of happy puppies who had just been freed from the pound.

“Some things never change do they,” Max suddenly spoke up, startling Vega.

Turning to look at her friend, Vega couldn’t help but smile as she watched Mari happily asking Tom how his little Promotional Thing around Oceania went while clinging to his left arm, while Lila is attached to his hip, complimenting his hair. And not even a tinge of discomfort from Tom (nor envy from her) was reflected on his face as he greeted his sisters merrily.

“Yeah,” Vega said with a small bashful smile as she looked down at the blue stroller luggage she was towing behind her. “Things don’t…”

To her surprise, Max turned to her before subtly looking at Tom.

“Well,” she exclaimed cryptically. “You haven’t changed either…”

Vega looked back at her friend, trying not to look too flabbergasted or surprised, as she wondered whether Max would be able to figure her out (or her little secret as of the moment) just like the old days. But to her surprise, Max just eyed her with a sly smile and went, “You better take your chance in Paris, or else you’ll lose it forever.”

The woman raised an eyebrow, confused. “Wait, what –“

That’s when Tom suddenly cleared his throat and caught the attention of the two supposedly less-affectionate girls in their clique, as he smugly waggled his eyebrows and said, “Pray tell Maxine, that you have kept my flat clean and ready for my return –“

Max huffed, ignoring the silly smile on Fred’s face. “Now you tell me that you’re returning, Mr. Landlord,” she played along with Tom’s farce, as the man started to smile playfully despite having four girls attached to his hip. “Everything would have been fine if only your useless Mercenary Sister would pay the bills –“

Vega gasped and groaned at Max’s direction. “I did too –“

“Ah,” Tom suddenly interrupted her, his gaze falling on the smaller girl who turned to him with those big, brown doe eyes. “So the prodigal shrimp has finally returned.”

Despite those feelings brewing deep inside of her, the cute little texts left on iMessages, those tender Facetimes shared over the past five days – for Tom to suddenly refer to her as “shrimp” seemingly rekindled a little flame of playful anger in her, as she placed both hands on her hips and shot back – “Excuse me, what the eff did you call me –“

Stepping closer, Tom kept that poker face look that made her insides quiver, and whispered, “I said _shrimp_.”

Vega gasped and sported that _I never_ – face. “Well you’re one to talk,” she shot back, as the girls watched with eager anticipation, considering that they were all up to date with the fact that Vega did lose her fiancé and was _technically single again_. And guess who can finally get a chance with her? “ _Crane_ ,” she hissed in between her teeth, causing Tom to open his mouth wide like her as well.

Next thing you know, a little playful scuffle happened between the two groups – the girls somewhat shielding a proud and snooty Tom who held his head up from a tantrum-prone, squeamish Vega who had to be held back by Max from attempting to tackle the man on the ground and start punching him in the face like what she did the last time when there was chocolate and pudding involved –

All of a sudden, the commotion was interrupted by Alexa and Alex (who had to be absent from school for a few days so he can have that Paris Romance with Sam) who appeared out of nowhere saying, “SOMEONE’S GIVING AWAY FREE DONUTS!”

First to leave the group was Max, who was not just a baker by nature – but was a pastry addict.

She was followed close by the sweet-tooths in the group, and a really worried Fred who was calling out to his girlfriend how she was going to end up fat again, before being grabbed by the collar and pulled into the fray as Max claimed that he’s going to pay for it anyway.

Left by the original spot in the hangar where they were supposed to take their flight to Paris, was Thain and Aeoren who was completely surprised by the sudden turn of events and left to fend by themselves, despite putting up quite a show when they girls’ attentions were around them.

Vega was looking disbelievingly at the girls who crowded the Donut Stand, when she suddenly felt a hand slowly brush against the apple of her cheek, causing her eyes to flutter closed as she turned to chase its direction – only to be pulled into a soft and gentle kiss initiated by the person standing beside her, shaking her from head to toe.

Opening her eyes, she found Tom lovingly looking down on her, his eyes flitting open to look at her, his lips still parted.

“ _I've missed you, darling_.”

Vega felt her heart leap as she felt his hands rest underneath her chin. “I missed you too,” she breathed, completely thrilled by the fact that his face was still inches away from hers, as if he was still waiting for another kiss to happen. But when Vega was about to close her eyes and ensure that their little gesture of affection pushes through –

Tom suddenly pulled her into a rough headlock, giving her a noogie as Max returned with her three bags of Donuts, looking at the two peculiarly.

“Aren’t you two idiots going to get –“ Mouth stuffed with fried sweets, Max narrowed her eyebrows and went, “What the fuck are you two doing?”

With Vega squirming underneath his grasp, Tom gritted his teeth and smiled evilly at his other Mercenary Sister, as the girl he had headlocked began to squirm in his grip, almost clawing and gnawing at his bare arm.

“Oh, I’m just teaching your naughty Mercenary Sister a lesson,” the six footer huffed, to which Max just shrugged and rolled her eyes as she began to compare notes with Lis about the better pastries with the delicious fillings, completely ignoring the way Tom released the woman from his grip… and gently letting his fingers trace her neck and thread through her long black hair.

“What was that for?” Vega whined quietly, only loud enough for Tom to hear as his hand lingered discreetly on the small of her back. “Are we on some clandestine relationship or something –“

“If you want to,” he gently whispered, his eyes never leaving her the entire time. “A secret relationship seems fun…”

Vega softly chuckled, as they watched the other girls coming back for seconds. “You do know that they will find out eventually…” she whispered, enjoying the little quiet moment they were having with the entire group away from them.

“Let them find out at their own time,” he said in a teasing tone. “As for now we have a little secret to keep…”

The woman raised an eyebrow at him, a little baffled on why he wanted to keep their current status a little secret. But considering the way the girls were whispering and looking in their direction, as well as Max and Fred exchanging glances before one started jerking their head in the spot where Tom and Vega were standing; this caused the _shrimp_ to stifle a snicker, looking up to find the same amused expression on the man’s face.

“Well, whatever is fun for you, Thain,” Vega teased, giving him a playful look, before biting her lips.

However, the way the man whispered in her ear sent a trickle down her spine, giving her the butterflies she loved having – especially if its Tom’s demeanor that was causing it. “Oh honey,” he sighed in her ear. “Falling in love with you is always fun…”

With that, Vega found herself closing her eyes and savoring the way her heart fluttered, as Tom straightened up to grin blankly at some of the girls who tried to call him over, while he basked in the glory of giving his woman that shudder that shook her from head to toe. Turning back to smile at her, he then removed his hand from behind her back to let it hang on his side, giving her the space to breath – and at the same time, move a piece of the pawns to his game of chess.

Much to his surprise, even with the danger of the girls looking, he felt his heart leap in his ribcage when Vega reached out to gently caress the inside of his arm, before bringing it down to entwine around his fingers, causing a warm smile to form on his face.

It has come to this.

Everything has come to this.

And they find peace in a busy airport in London, with a new game at hand.

But yet, after twelve long years, what really mattered to him was that… _she was finally holding his hand._

 

 

 

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two long years! Guys! We made it! We finally got to the end of the Conversation Series! I would like to give thanks to everyone who helped, everyone who sent me songs, everyone who sent me ideas, everyone who contributed, everyone who commented, and everyone who got involved with this long story! My labor of love! Special shout outs to MissHotMess and Kuon! My dears, you helped keep me going! Thank you! <3 And to you dear reader, this wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for you.
> 
> THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE! <3
> 
> Also, hang on tight… I am planning at least two ficlets (SHORT FICS, NO MORE MONSTROUS 50+ CHAPTERS) for the Conversation Series… Complimentary Fics that would show you where Tom and Vega would end up after this wonderful proposition. <3 For you dear reader, only for you! <3 <3 <3
> 
> Also adding the necessary Song List that fuelled “A Stolen Conversation”:
> 
> 1\. This Kiss / Carly Rae Jepsen  
> 2\. Don't Get Me Wrong / Lily Allen  
> 3\. Jann Arden / You Don't Know Me  
> 4\. Madness / Muse  
> 5\. I Say A Little Prayer / Diana King  
> 6\. When The Stars Go Blue / The Corrs feat. Bono  
> 7\. Slow Like Honey / Fiona Apple  
> 8\. Can We Still Be Friends? / Mandy Moore  
> 9\. Why Do You Love Me / Garbage  
> 10\. Tonight I'm Getting Over You / Carly Rae Jepsen  
> 11\. Hey Ho / Lumineers  
> 12\. Stolen / Dashboard Confessional  
> 13\. Standing In The Dark / Lawson  
> 14\. Just Give Me A Reason / Pink feat. Nate Ruess  
> 15\. Blue Eyes / Mika  
> 16\. When You're Gone / Mel C & Bryan Adams  
> 17\. Perfect / Travis Garland  
> 18\. Always Be My Baby / David Cook*  
> 19\. When It All Falls Apart / The Veronicas  
> 20\. Valerie / Amy Winehouse  
> 21\. Goodbye, Hello / TaeTiSeo (Girls' Generation)  
> 22\. Cool / Gwen Steffani  
> 23\. I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You / Glee (Black Kids)  
> 24\. A Little Party Never Killed Nobody / Fergie feat. QTip and Goonrock  
> 25\. Make You Feel My Love / Adelle  
> 26\. I Choose You / Sara Bareilles  
> 27\. Girlfriend (Remix) / NSYNC feat Nelly  
> 28\. Can't Pretend / Tom Odell  
> 29\. Almost Is Never Enough / Ariana Grande feat. Nathan Sykes*  
> 30\. Kill My Boyfriend / Natasha Kills  
> 31\. I Wish / Cher Lloyd feat. T.I.*  
> 32\. Beneath Your Beautiful / Labrinth feat. Emeli Sande  
> 33\. Sex / The 1975  
> 34\. Those Sweet Words / Norah Jones  
> 35\. White Flag / Dido  
> 36\. Tainted Love & Where Did Our Love Go (Mash-up) / Soft Cell  
> 37\. Again / Janet Jackson  
> 38\. Walking On Broken Glass / Annie Lennox  
> 39\. Do I Wanna Know / Arctic Monkeys  
> 40\. Panic At The Disco / Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off  
> 41\. Girls Chase Boys / Ingrid Michaelson  
> 42\. I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight / Bastille  
> 43\. From Eden / Hozier  
> 44\. Hung Up / Madonna / Glee Version  
> 45\. Sweet Nothing / Calvin Harris Feat. Florence Welch  
> 46\. The Hardest Thing / 98 Degrees  
> 47\. Strange Relationship / Darren Hayes  
> 48\. Like I'm Gonna Lose You / Meghan Trainor feat. John Legend  
> 49\. Triangulo / Thyro, Yumi, & Jeric (PhilPop 2015)


End file.
